Order of the Phoenix
by Beezer
Summary: Ebony series- Its the 5th year at Hogwarts for Harry with more obstacles to overcome now that Voldermort's back & few friends believe him. How will they fair with the new DADA teacher...how will Ebony & Chelly keep their secrets hidden from the others
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I'm pleasantly surprised with the reaction to these stories. I like them better as they advance because I get to develop the characters more and show how Ebony and Chelly grow and integrate with the others. So without further ado here's part 5._

_Disclaimer: I only own Ebony and Chelly…and later on Luis_

ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

**WATCHING OUT FOR HARRY**

Her legs moved faster than she thought possible, feet barely having time to touch the ground before moving back into action, her throat and lungs burning from the sprint, side aching miserably, running as quickly as she could. She was surprised the rain could touch her at all. She wanted to slow down, to stop for a moment and get enough air to stop the pounding in her temples, let the rain wash her sweat away and cool her skin. But she couldn't. It's what got her into this mess in the first place. She had stopped. She had decided Harry was safe and stopped to sit at a local coffee shop while Harry was at the park. She figured it was broad daylight and that nothing would chance attacking him. She even dozed off in the cushioned chair she'd been in, cloak aroundher…until she heard the thunder burst through the sky and woke with a start as the sky swirled to darkness and the skies broke. She'd been wrong…the Dementors were coming…for Harry. And she had taken off running, knowing exactly where he was. Her intuition being the better judge as she ran through the now muddy road. Her foot caught in a hole and she fell, sliding in the mud. She was back on her feet a moment later, running again with a bit of a slip but regaining her composure enough to sprint again, ignoring the pain in her hands and arm from the rocks she slid on.

She was getting closer now, she could see the pants of her breath in the icy air as she approached the dark halls of the under pass. She came to a skidding halt under the cover and pulled her hood up, becoming invisible. She drew her wand as she turned and saw Harry shout out his Patronus, his cousin Dudley on the floor being drained by another. Ebony, for fear of Harry hearing her voice and knowing she was watching, silently called on her own Patronus. The glowing dolphin attacked the Dementor, tackling it off Dudley as it chased it out the corridor. She saw Harry's frowning face for a moment before her Patronus disappeared and she backed away silently as Mrs. Figg approached, his mind preoccupied with the possibility of another Muggle.

She saw Harry tuck his wand behind his back as he sat kneeling next to Dudley."Mrs. Figg?"

"Don't put your wand away, Harry," the older woman said. "They might come back."

Ebony quietly snuck out the tunnel, following them back to Privet Drive under the shield of her cloak. She didn't trust to leave him alone again. Once she saw Harry was safely inside did she Apparate straight to Grimmauld Place, right inside Sirius Black's house. She apparated straight in front of the doorway before pulling down her hood and becoming visible. With an exhausted sigh she unlatched the cloak from around her neck and hung it on the coat rack which took it and stashed it into another compartment that was her box.

It didn't take long for the door at the end of the hall to open and others to step out to see who had just entered as she was sure they'd been alerted there was another presence in the house.

"Good heavens!" Mrs. Weasley pitched as she saw Ebony standing there, muddy and soaked. "What on earth happened to you child?"

"It's raining," she shrugged and spotted her father, both of them, coming up behind Mrs. Weasley upon spotting her from the doorway and seeing her disastrous looking state. Lupin not far off but staying a distance out of the way, but not so far off he couldn't intervene if necessary. It had been a draining summer for her with her fathers demeaning each other at every turn, right in front of her no less. She could only hang her head as it went on because it seemed they'd forget she was even in the room, neither caring how this possibly affected her. Her Uncle Remus had taken notice, giving her sympathizing looks or putting a hand on her shoulder, trying to avert her attention elsewhere than the scene the other two put on. Even her cousin, Tonks, was helpful, dragging her into another room with a grin to play Wizards Chess, tripping over three imaginary shoes or Hermione's cat, whatever it was the pink haired girl could blame it on.

Tonks was one of few family members she actually had and liked. She was related on her father's side of course being his cousins daughter, it was a down the line connection but still blood related, meaning she was as closely tied to Draco as she was Tonks due to both their mother's being sister's. Andromeda was Tonks's mother and Narcissa's, Draco's mother, sister which also meant they were Bellatrix's sister as well. Another major Death Eater who was sent to Azkaban and gave Ebony the heavy feeling of knowing they shared the same blood. The only one who wasn't a Death Eater was Andromeda which cast her out of the family when she married a Muggle and had Tonks. Someone Ebony was proud to call family, no matter how klutzy she was. She could see the pink haired girl waving from down the hall, Chelly standing in front of her lips pursued as she took in Ebony's dirt covered look.

"And you decided to go gallivanting in the mud?" Snape asked and looked his daughter over. He wouldn't have known she had been wearing blue jeans if he hadn't seen her leave earlier that morning. And her tank top might have been red but was now rusty brown.

"Well…kind of," she shrugged. "Rain is kind of fun you know."

"Certainly did nothing to wash you clean," Sirius chuckled, flicking dirt out of her hair.

"You're getting the floor dirty," Mrs. Weasley huffed.

"Oh, it's not a problem, Molly," he told her. "It's my house after all…Kreacher can clean it later."

She heard the house elf mumbling up the stairs but didn't pay him any attention, nor did she alert anyone to the five teenagers listening from the banister up stairs, one of them being her red headed boyfriend.

"What happened to you?" Snape asked again not taking her earlier answer.

"I fell," she said simply.

"I can see that," he spoke through gritted teeth. "The question remains as to why and how?"

"Following Harry," she took a deep breath, removing her dirt covered hair from her eyes. "Seems like the Dementors are on the loose."

That caught everyone's attention.

"Dementor's?" Alastor repeated. "Bloody hell, he's pulling all the stops now."

"It gets worse," she said. "I got there too late. Harry ended up using his Patronus to get rid of them…in front of his cousin Dudley."

"Oh no," Arthur said and shook his head. "That's not good. They'll try to have him expelled now."

"Mrs. Figg was witness though to the attack. Let Professor Dumbledore know that as well."

"I'm already ahead of ya," Alastor said and was already limping into the den where the fireplace was burning to send word to Dumbledore.

"Is Harry all right?" Sirius asked her with concern in his blue eyes that matched her own.

"Yes, he was fine when I followed him to his Aunt's house."

"I'm more concerned about _you_," Snape said emphasizing the words to earn a glare from Sirius and grabbed her arm, turning it over to inspect the dirt covered cuts on her forearm and palm. He grabbed her other one as well, seeing it was in the same bruised state. "How hard did you fall?"

"I was running pretty fast, fell into a muddy hole, slid pretty well too," she said.

He shook his head and moved her down the hall. "Let's get your arms healed and then you can go shower and get rid of this clothing."

Ebony made her way down the hall, nodding her head at the others. She paused in front of Chelly as Snape went on down the other hall because the look on her face told Ebony she had something to say and couldn't contain it much longer.

Chelly shook her head. "Wow…what shitty situation did you get yourself out of? How did Dementors turn into a mud bath?"

"You're real sweet," she said sarcastically.

"You know, we could make mudpies out of you?" Chelly chuckled finding the sight of her best friend hysterical.

"You're a riot, Chell," she said.

"Looks like it's time for your weekly bath, Ms. Piggy," she chuckled.

Ebony smiled at her. "Oh, Chelly. You're my best friend you know that?" Ebony grabbed her friend before she could register what was about to happen and hugged her tight, wrapping her arms all the way around her, feeling Chelly stiffen and gasp. "What would I ever do without you?" she rubbed her friends back, transferring more of the mud and then pulled away. "Nice shirt by the way, what color was it…baby blue?" she patted Chelly's cheek, muddying it up.

Chelly glared through slinted eyes. "You are a bitch, you know that?"

Ebony nodded with a smile. "Least I'm not the only little piggy in the house. Oink oink."

She left Chelly grumbling and Lupin and Tonks chuckling at her, reassuring her they could get the stains out before Tonks took Chelly upstairs. Ebony heard her trip twice before she reached the master bathroom where her dad waited for her. The bathroom was as dark as the rest of the house, made of dark stones and black marble. Made her feel right at home…even though it was her home decades ago. Strangely the transition didn't bother her as much as she thought it might. But she hadn't spent much time in her old room or much time talking to George about it for that matter. She knew that he was aware Sirius was related to her in some way. And he had probably figured it out, she just didn't want to discuss it just yet. She had enough secrets as it was.

"About time? I was beginning to wonder if you fell into another mud hole?"

"No, I just gave Chelly a hug…I missed her."

Snape snorted. "I'm sure you didn't miss dirtying any of her clothing."

Ebony just smiled and sat down on the closed toilet.

"Give me your arms," Snape said and she held them out.

"_Vanisho_," he said with a wave of his wand and the dirt disappeared from each of her arms.

Ebony grimaced at the sight. With the mud she hadn't noticed the cuts and bruises, some of which still bled a bit. "You really did a number on yourself," a voice said from the doorway.

She turned her head to see Sirius standing there and felt her breath catch as the atmosphere seemed to grow thicker with the two enemies in the same area. "Yes. I'm getting good at being klutzy, must be my Black side of this seeing as how Tonks is just as good at it."

"Well, I don't know about that," Sirius smiled, leaning in the doorway. "I was never much of a klutz. Although I never did move around well in the dark…always managed to bump into something in my younger years."

"You did manage to bump into here though," Snape sneered, Ebony turned her head to see her Dad staring at Sirius as if he were a rodent. And so it began, just as it always did and she braced herself, holding her breath.

"Excuse me?" Sirius said slowly and Ebony found herself moving her head back and forth between the two.

"You come waltzing in here only after finding out Potter is all right. You were more concerned for him than for Ebony," Snape accused him.

"She was standing right there, Severus, she didn't appear to be harmed."

Snape gestured at her torn up arms. "You call this unharmed? Of course you would, after all it was you who used her as a shield in the shrieking shack and then left her to face a werewolf on her own."

Sirius stepped into the bathroom. "How dare you insinuate that I don't care for my daughter?"

"How dare you even call her your daughter when you act nothing like her father?"

Sirius took a step back as if physically hit by a blow, but his gaze hardened. "What would you know about being a father when all you've ever known is being a Death Eater?"

"More than you would considering all time you've spent in Azkaban."

"Again, flinging words of Azkaban to toy with me over the fact you got my daughter for it, taking your revenge with her as your pawn to get at me for things done years ago. When all she ever is is in danger when she's with you because you're a Death Eater, even if Dumbledore says you're only a spy," Sirius spat angrily.

"It's because of your bloodline she's in the most danger. She's Death Royalty due to your blood and marked for it, it's what will have the Dark Lord wanting her and will make her sought after if word reaches him. It's your fault she's in any danger," Snape countered.

Sirius smirked. "It would be just like you to turn her in to him. So who is she really in danger with, Snivelus?"

Snape took a step forward and Ebony tensed from where she sat. She had given up watching them after they did the "how dare you" part of the argument and she had felt each and every blow listening to them argue who she was in the most danger with.

"Excuse me, gentlemen?" Lupin stepped into the room, right between them casually, as if nothing had happened. Both men stopped mid step. "I believe you are both needed in the dining room, Alastor has word from Dumbledore and he's getting ready to speak from the fire pit as we stand here, but he's waiting on the two of you for certain reason."

Sirius nodded his head but stopped to glare at Snape once more and Ebony had a feeling this would go on later as it always did. Snape turned back to Ebony, the ice in his eyes slowly melting away. "I should heal those for you."

"It's all right," Ebony said with a wave of her hand and a smile. "I'm sure I can do a healing charm and take care of these."

Snape paused for a moment, unsure.

"Go on, Dad," she said and the word dad seemed to relieve him as if this would have changed her mind but it didn't really differ from every other time they argued this summer. She actually looked forward to going back to work, at least there the two of them couldn't clash and she wasn't a part of their game.

"Very well, but no more expeditions for the night," he disappeared from the bathroom with those words and Ebony let out the breath she'd been holding during the fight.

Lupin set down the set of clothes he had gotten from her room and sat down on the floor across from her. "How are you feeling?"

"Besides from my arms being a bit sore and Sirius and Snape going at it every possible chance they can, I'm great. I think this was one of my favorite fights," she said sarcastically.

Lupin smiled and scoffed a little. "You take it pretty well…most would break under all that you've been through."

"There's no time for that and besides, have you seen my bloodline, not a lot of breakers on either side…and you know Snape, breaking is not something we do."

"Touché," Lupin nodded. "I just wonder how it makes you feel."

"I hate it, it exhausts me," she said flat out. With anyone else she would have said she was fine, that nothing was wrong, but with her Uncle, her godfather, she felt she could tell him everything she felt and he would truly understand her. "I wish that they could get along and let the past rest but I know they can't, that they won't. And I'll always be a pawn. Sirius will always see it as I was stolen from him and that I'm part of a game and Severus will always see it as Sirius will take me away and torment him in a way that's not so off from in the past…they can never just share me and understand that both of them do actually love me…you heard them I'm sure."

He nodded slowly. "I did…and you're correct. They'll never see eye to eye…but all that matters is that _you_ know they both love you. You know it…you feel it…that's all that really matters. They may look at each other with hate but when they look at you its love…they share you in common."

"And neither of them likes to share," she snorted.

Lupin laughed. "That is very true," he sat up on his knees and took a look at her arms. "Let's get these cleared up shall we, shouldn't be too much," Lupin took out his wand and waved it over her arms with a spell. The cuts sewed back together into full skin and the bruises faded away, looking as if nothing had ever happened.

"There we go," he stood back up. "You're all set. I suggest you shower. I brought clothes from your room. When you're done meet us in the dining room. I'll save you a seat."

She nodded and spoke up before he left. "Uncle Remus?"

"Yes, my dear?" he turned around, one hand on the door knob, ready to close it for her.

"Thank you." It was two simple words but held enough that each knew what she meant, and why she felt the need to say it.

He smiled warmly. "It's what I'm supposed to do as your Uncle and Godfather. Save you from your parents and spoil you."

"I'd give you a hug but," she gestured at her clothes. "You saw what it did to Chelly."

"She's still grumbling about it," he told her. "Save it for another time then."

He shut the door behind him leaving her to shower. With a sigh she removed her ring and Slytherin pendant and started the water, hoping to not only to relieve herself of the mud and dirt but of all the spiteful words her dads had said.

**RESCUING HARRY**

"Ow!" Chelly whispered in the dark. "Tonks, that's my foot!"

"Oh, sorry," Tonks whispered back after having stepped on Chelly.

"Will you two shut it. Don't want to wake the entire house," Alastor hissed in the dark. "Is it this door, Chelly?"

She looked around the much taller and bigger man. "Yeah, second door on the right. That's Harry's."

"I got it," Tonks took out her wand and was already unlocking the door.

"_Lumos_," Chelly whispered and her wand lit up so she could get a better look at the door. It was her first mission in the Order, having finished all her training over the last grueling two months to the point she was ready to smack Mad Eye if he woke her up before six am ever again. The kind of training he put her through she'd have rather spent the time scrubbing the Great Hall floor with her toothbrush. It would have caused her less aches and pain in the end.

The door burst open. "Amazing, these Muggles," Tonks said.

"Tonks, for God's sake," Mad Eye shook his head as they stepped in Chelly between Mad Eye and Tonks.

"Professor Moody," Harry lowered his wand from where he stood. "Chelly…what are you doing here?"

"We were in the neighborhood, thought we'd come by for tea and cookies," Chelly teased. Mad Eye hit her upside the head earning him a slinted glare from her.

"Rescuing you of course," Mad Eye said. "Now get your things and let's be gone."

Chelly helped Harry pack his stuff into the suitcase before waving her wand over it, apparating it back to Grimmauld Place. She tried to avoid Harry's eye contact, knowing he'd have something to say or questions to ask. But even without looking into his eyes he had questions. "How've you been?"

"Good, busy summer," she said giving him the short version of the truth.

"Haven't seen you in a couple weeks, did you get to see Oliver?"

"Yeah, saw him a week ago when he got back from vacation with his family. He's good, he'll be back at Hogwart's this year."

"What have you been doing this summer?" he asked.

She shrugged as she apparated Hedwig's cage. "Same old same old…kind of."

"Have you seen Ebony?"

"Uh huh."

"How is she? Where is she?"

"You'll see her soon enough," she motioned him out the door. "Now let's go."

Harry followed the other five wizards outside talking to Moody as they went. "Where are we going? The letter says I've been expelled from Hogwart's."

"Oh, not yet you haven't."

"The letter said-."

Kingsley interrupted him as they stood on the sidewalk. "Dumbledore has persuaded the minister to suspended your expulsion depending on a formal hearing."

"Hearing?" Harry repeated confused.

"Uh huh," Kingsley said as he stared at the skies.

"Don't worry, Harry, we'll explain everything when we get back to head quarters," Tonks reassured him.

"Shhh," Mad Eye hushed her. "Not here Nymphadora."

The girl swung her head to him, giving him an angry glare as her hair turned a deep red. "Don't call me Nymphadora."

Chelly chuckled. "Okay…Nymphy."

Tonks turned her glare to her and they would have started bickering but Mad Eye tapped his staff on the ground and the brooms they had hidden came straight to them. Chelly caught hers, thankful it didn't smack her in the face as it had the first couple of times she tried it.

"Stay in formation everyone," Mad Eye said. "Don't break ranks if one of us is killed."

"That's real reassuring," Chelly snorted and winked over at Harry. A moment later they had taken off flying through the skies over the city before landing in a park and heading out the iron gate on the side to stand on a sidewalk outside a large apartment building. Mad Eye stood by the light post and tapped his staff again. Harry watched in amazement as the building shook and expanded sideways, creating a whole other doorway but leaving the people inside clueless that their building had shifted with earthquake like force. He stared at Chelly and she smiled with a shrug as they went inside. Alastor all but shoved Harry aside as he headed for the door at the end of the hall. Tonks gave him a wink and Chelly sighed patting his shoulder.

Harry looked past them all and saw Ebony sitting between Lupin and Sirius, Snape standing not too far behind her. Sirius, he was right there sitting with his daughter as everyone in the room sat arguing over something that he was sure he heard his name in. Ebony glanced up to see what caught Sirius's attention and saw Harry. She gave him a small smile before Mrs. Weasley busied herself out the door and shut it, shutting Harry out.

Ebony let out a sigh as Chelly sat down across from her, in a new clean outfit. Chelly stuck her tongue out at her but gave her a smile nonetheless.

"We have to act now," Sirius said again. "Before he finds it."

"And start an all out war?" Arthur argued.

"It's only a matter of time before Voldermort finds out about the prophecy, before he finds a way to get his hands on it," Sirius said.

"No one in the ministry even begins to believe that Voldermort is back," Chelly said. "You hear what they're all saying. That Dumbledore is crazy and Harry with him."

"And you believe that as well, Chelly?" Sirius asked, blue eyes turning to ice on her.

Chelly shook her head, but didn't lose the look he gave her and had been over the last few months. She still hadn't forgiven him for using Ebony as a shield and it was getting harder to think of forgiving him when he turned around everything she said. "No, I don't. I'm just saying that starting a war right now when the only allies we have are in this room is a bad idea. And I'd appreciate it if you'd stop giving me that look every five minutes or I'll smack it out of you…unless you want to hide behind Ebony."

Chelly saw Snape smirk from where he stood behind Ebony and Sirius glared harder but kept his tongue silent. "Fighting this fight is the only reasonable idea I can see."

"And keeping Harry in the dark over the prophecy and everything else is a good idea?" Chelly added on.

"Why are you in the Order again?" Sirius asked her.

"Because Dumbledore recruited me. If you have a problem take it up with him, furball."

"We can't let Harry know," Lupin said, again stepping in to stop these two from fighting as well. "It's too dangerous and he has enough on his mind as it is."

Ebony shook her head. "You're asking me to continue lying to him like I've had to all summer."

"In a matter of speaking yes," Mrs. Weasley said.

"It's easy for you to do then, because I'm having a problem with it."

"He's just a boy. Let him have a normal life like everyone else."

"He'll never have a normal life like everyone else," she all but yelled. "Harry will never be normal, and keeping him in the dark about this is more dangerous than telling him the truth. Believe me, I would know. I keep enough secrets from him without this added on to it."

"It's Dumbledore's orders," Alastor said.

Ebony felt the air run out of her as she sank back in her chair. Dumbledore's orders. Again that seemed to be the underlying cause to everything she had to keep quiet about and it wasn't getting any easier to do. Not saying anything about Dark Royalty was one thing. Not many in this room knew about it except for those related to her in some way. She rubbed at her wrist where the mark was hidden beneath her watch and a concealing charm. She could still feel it there, not as active as it usually was but still there in her blood and magic. She felt Snape's hand on her shoulder, barely a touch but he must have seen her rub at her wrist.

"If anyone has a right to know its Harry. If it wasn't for him we wouldn't even know Voldermort has returned. He's not a little boy, Molly," Sirius said

"He's not an adult either. He's not James," Mrs. Weasley scoffed.

"He's not your son," Sirius argued.

"He's as good as one of mine," Mrs. Weasley said sternly. "Who else has he got?"

"I've been watching out for him, so he has me," Ebony spoke out.

"That includes me," Chelly seconded.

"And he's got me," Sirius added.

"How touching, Black, perhaps Potter will grow up to be a felon just like his godfather," Snape sneered.

"You stay out of this, Snevelus," Sirius hissed at him. "I don't care what Dumbledore says about it, I know better."

"Of course you do, that's why you were in Azkaban all these years."

"I agree with Sirius," Ebony spoke up before another argument could begin. "Harry's not a little boy anymore and as I said being left in the dark on something as important as this is not a wise decision. It causes more harm than good in the end."

"I refuse to let any of you include him in this," Molly said.

"Chelly, have you seen anything regarding this?" Alastor asked her.

Chelly shook her head. "No, I didn't get anything when I touched Harry and I haven't seen anything at all as to that." She had come to find out another surprise as well over the summer of her Auror training. She had a special ability that had been hidden even to her but brought more out and focused with help. She had the gift of foresight. She could see things that were going to happen before they did. She'd always thought she was daydreaming before, never really paying much attention to knowing the outcome of certain Quidditch games or knowing certain answers on test, though she felt jipped by not being able to see any answers or helping hints in potions. But it was why she had placed such high bets on the last game of Quidditch with Snape and Oliver, she knew she'd win. Even her dreams were foresight as she found she didn't dream like everyone else did. Her dreams were her own Pensive. She could see things that had already happened as if they were happening again as she usually did with her trip to Disney World or she'd sometimes see things yet to come. But she hadn't seen anything with Harry earlier. The visions came on their own.

"See no harm in telling him," Sirius said.

"Chelly, dear, did you see anything about the Dementor's attacking Harry?" Molly asked.

She shook her head. "Umm…no…I didn't."

"Then how can we know that telling Harry will have no harming effect?" Molly questioned. "She can't see everything."

"It's his prophecy, it's his right to know why Voldermort will be after him," Lupin agreed with Sirius.

"No," Molly said sternly. "It is Dumbledore's orders that Harry not know and we will abide by what he says and that's final."

It was quiet in the room for all of five seconds before everyone started talking at once. Chelly shook her head. "Can we get to more important matters here!" she said and to her surprise most of the wizards in the room quieted down. "When is dinner cause I'm starving?"

Ebony snickered. "You're thinking about food."

"You're bloody right I am. What about me and my needs? I haven't eaten all day? Is dinner almost done?" she batted her eyes at Molly innocently which seemed to melt the anger out of the older woman.

"Yes, dear it nearly is done since this meeting is over for now," she said and stood up from her seat, busying herself in the kitchen.

Chelly and Ebony stood as well, having had enough of the argument to last them a life time. Sirius stood hearing Molly speak to Harry and wanting to see him, she let him go first before she saw him, after all Harry saw her more often than his own godfather.

"Are you coming home or are you staying here?" Snape asked her. She turned around to see him and decided it was best to ignore the tone in his voice when he asked the question.

"I think I'm going to stay here one more night. I have some things I need to get done before I head back to Hogwarts," she told him.

She saw the flash in his eyes that she didn't understand but it was gone as quickly as it had come. "Very well…I understand." He Apparated before she could say anything else and was left only to shake her head, Chelly patting her on the shoulder.

Ebony walked out of the cramped dining room into the narrow hallway, about to head up to their rooms to wash up. "Can I speak to the two of you for a moment?" they both turned halfway up the staircase to see Harry staring up at them.

"Sure, Harry," Ebony nodded and descended the stairs.

They walked with him into the den where he shut the double doors. Ebony hadn't been in this room in years, nothing had changed about it since the last time she was in it except now there weren't four wizards discussing her fate and what should be done with her while she sat in the couch. Harry spun around the second the doors were shut.

"Why didn't either of you tell me?" he asked.

"Tell you what?" Chelly blinked in confusion.

"About the Order? About any of this?"

"It didn't seem important," Ebony answered.

"Didn't seem important?" Harry repeated. "How could this not be important?"

"Look, we couldn't tell you exactly what was going on without worrying you any further," Chelly put in. "Didn't think it would do you any good."

"You both wrote to me over the summer, both of you saw me and never said a word about this. That you were any part of this, Auror's and the Order of the Phoenix…never anything."

"How could we, Harry?" Chelly asked. "It's not exactly something you say in a conversation. Gee, how's your summer? Mine's pretty good I'm in the Order of the Phoenix and an Auror now which is a life and death job, other than that I'm great?"

"Does Oliver even know about any of this?" he asked Chelly irately. "Are you lying to him too? Keeping all this from him about what you're doing with your summer?"

Chelly let out a humorless laugh her anger getting the best of her. "Oh, I know you're not fighting with me before I've had anything to eat because I get crankier when I haven't eaten and you really don't want to screw with me when I'm cranky so back off."

"How do you go about this without telling him or anyone?" he asked.

"We couldn't tell you, Harry," Ebony shook her head.

"You don't tell anyone anything apparently. I've found out more about you by accident then from your own mouth. Does George know any of this or is he just barely finding out that Sirius Black is your father and not Snape?"

"They are both my family," she said.

"No, Sirius is your father. That's why you're here because of Sirius."

"I'm here because of you," she set him straight causing Harry to step back. "That's why Chelly and I are here. For you. It's why we're part of the Order and Auror's, so we can protect you."

"I can protect myself," he said.

"I know you can," Ebony agreed. "And it's unfair to not tell you anything. It really is. I hate leaving you in the dark because I feel you're safer in the light of it. But…Dumbledore didn't want us to tell you…so we saw you over the summer…even when you couldn't see us we were watching your house, watching where you went just to make sure Voldermort wouldn't try anything."

"The Patronus…the dolphin," Harry remembered. "You were there, Ebony."

She nodded. "I was, but please don't go voicing that around the Ministry. No one can know I'm in the Order, least not there."

"Understandable."

"Then you understand why we couldn't tell you anything?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Dumbledore's orders."

"Just know we got your back, Harry," Chelly said, a lot calmer than she had been a couple minutes ago.

"I know, I'm sorry for yelling."

"Understandable," Ebony grinned and slung her arm around his shoulders. "You know, you're a lot taller than I remember."

"Maybe you're just shrinking," he teased. They heard a rumbling noise and looked over at Chelly.

She grinned sheepishly. "I told you I was hungry."

Harry put his other arm around her shoulders, dragging her closer. "Apparently your appetite never shrinks."

"Cold day in hell when that happens, now can we go to the kitchen before Ron takes the last helping of chicken. I'll beat him over the head if he gets the last drumstick."

The three laughed as they headed back out the doors and towards the kitchen to have dinner where Ebony felt there would be another argument awaiting them.

_CH2 Coming soon R&R in the meantime_


	2. Chapter 2

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A/N: A bit short but trust me this story overall is long

_Disclaimer: I only own Ebony and Chelly_

**DINNER**

Ebony sat between Harry and Chelly, George across from her while Sirius sat at the head of the table nearest Harry. George kept tapping her leg with his foot, trying to get her attention though Ebony did her best to keep her eyes averted elsewhere. Right now she was watching her friend's appetite as she piled her plate of food, tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration. She had three pieces of chicken, a large pile of seasoned fries, a helping of corn and two biscuits. Ron was just as high in the food piling count and the two were still looking across the table at other items to add on to their plate.

Sirius watched with mild amusement as Chelly finally began to dig in. "It's safe to say you have a healthy appetite, Chelly."

"Gotta keep my strength up somehow, all the training I've had to do," she shrugged and ate one of her biscuits.

"I'm sure your sarcasm takes a lot of you with the ability to be a pain in the ass," he teased her.

She glared but it was ruined by her chipmunk like cheeks bulging. "Can't be a pain in the ass. Eating."

"If only you'd stay that way," he mumbled to himself.

Chelly reached for the last piece of chicken at the same time Ron did and the two stared each other down, both of them grabbing it. He tried to pull it away but her grip was strong.

"Oi, come on, Chells, let me have it," Ron said.

"Like hell I am."

"My mom cooked it!"

"Doesn't mean you get to claim it cuz if you're playing that game than this kitchen belongs to-." Chelly tried to say the words but found herself unable to. Dammit, she forgot about the Unbreakable Vow she made with Snape. Even if someone knew she couldn't speak it. She had to find a way around it. "Belongs to my best friend's you know who."

"Like I care," Ron growled.

Sirius had his wand out halfway through the argument and pointed it at the chicken. "_Accio_ _chicken_." It flew straight to him and he grabbed it, biting into the piece. "There," he said chewing on it. "Problem solved."

Both teenagers pouted , shoulders slumping as if they'd been told there'd be no Christmas that year. George was still tapping Ebony's foot with his own and she was still ignoring it. Sirius glanced back and forth between the two knowing George was dating his daughter and at least relieved it was a Weasley and a Gryffindor nonetheless. He'd even miraculously was able to date her with Snape's knowledge. That he found truly amazing, but it seemed Ebony was ignoring any gesture of attention George tried to get from her. And he was unsure why but had a funny suspicion it had to do with the Weasley not fully knowing her past, but by now the teenager had to have a clue.

"So, George, tell me," Sirius said with a smile. "How long have you been dating my daughter?"

Ebony's head shot up and Chelly froze mid bite into a piece of watermelon. George blinked at him a couple times, straightening up a bit. "Uhh…a year and a half. Two in June."

"I'm impressed you've survived that long with Professor Snape?"

George shrugged, appearing more relaxed. "He's not so bad…strict and all but he had no arguments with me dating his daughter. Least not too many," he rubbed at his ear.

"I don't have any either."

"You don't?"

"No, unless you give me reason that I should."

"No, sir, none I can think of," he said with a smile.

Chelly finished chewing the bite she had, fully aware this wasn't going anywhere wrong and wouldn't interfere with her eating. Ebony just stared shocked. Least she knew that George fully knew now that Sirius was her father.

"It's very peculiar. It seems your case, Harry, is going to be heard in front of the entire committee," Arthur said with a frown as he changed subjects.

"I don't understand," Harry said. "What does the Ministry of Magic got against me?"

They all sat silently for a moment each focusing on something else in the room. Lupin found his sleeve to be fascinating, George went was twirling the spoon in his cup. Ebony chewed her lip, glancing at Harry. And Chelly and Ron were busy stuffing their faces as to not have to speak at all.

"Show him," Alastor said standing next to the fireplace. "He'll find out soon enough."

Kingsley sighed and handed Chelly the paper who, handed it to Ebony and she gave it to Harry. On the front page of the Daily Prophet was a picture of Harry with a caption reading the Boy Who Lies.

"He's been attacking Dumbledore as well. Fudge is using all his power including his influence over the Daily Prophet to smear anyone who claims the Dark Lord has returned," Sirius said.

"Why?" Harry asked flabbergasted.

"The Minister believes Dumbledore is after his job," Lupin sighed.

"But that's insane no one in their right mind would believe Dumbledore-."

Lupin cut Harry off, "Exactly the point. Fudge isn't in his right mind. He's been twisted and warped by fear. Now fear makes people do terrible things, Harry. The last time Voldermort gained power he almost destroyed everything we hold most dear," Sirius glanced sadly over to Ebony who met his eyes for a brief moment before looking back at Lupin. "Now with his return I'm afraid the Minister will do almost anything to avoid facing that terrifying truth."

"We think Voldermort wants to build up his army again," Sirius spoke. "Fourteen years ago he had huge numbers at his command. Not just witches and wizards but all matter of dark creatures. He's been recruiting heavily and we've been attempting to do the same, but gathering followers isn't the only thing he's interested in," his eyes were heavily on Harry.

Alastor cleared his throat and Sirius let out a sigh but continued. "We believe Voldermort may be after something."

"Sirius," Alastor warned him.

"Something he didn't have last time," his blue eyes on Harry. Ebony shifted in her seat and even Chelly all together stopped eating, fork limp in her hand

"You mean like a weapon," Harry asked suspiciously.

Sirius opened his mouth to speak but Molly cut him off. "No, that's enough," she put down her knife and walked over to Harry, putting her hands on his shoulders angry eyes on Sirius. "He's just a boy," she took the newspaper from him and Sirius rolled his eyes. "You say much more and you might as well induct him into the Order straight away."

"Good! I want to join." Harry exclaimed. "If Voldermort's raising an army then I want to fight."

Sirius gave a triumphant look and spread his hands, leaning back in his chair, eyes twinkling and winked at Harry. Chelly snorted and finished the rest of the food on her plate. Before Molly could argue further Chelly spoke up. "Dinner was great, Mrs. Weasley…by any chance is there any dessert?"

Molly turned to the young girl. "Why of course there is! What would you like, dear? Banana cream pie? Chocolate mousse cake? Vanilla cheese cake?"

"Oo…chocolate mousse cake please…do you have ice cream?"

"Of course," she smiled and flicked her wand as the cake cut itself floating over to Chelly as Ron stared in envy. "We have things for sundaes and banana splits too."

"Banana split sounds good, too," Chelly smiled.

"Anything you want, deary, you can have," Molly flicked her wand again and the spoons got busy scooping ice cream while a banana cut itself in half. It sailed right to her and another floated in 

front of Ron. Both of them dug in to the amazement of everyone else as they must have had bottomless pits.

Ebony shrugged her shoulders at her father's slack jawed stare of wonder. She had finished her food, but was definitely not in the mood for dessert just yet. She excused herself from the table and headed into the hall.

"You never quit do you?" Sirius asked the other girl.

"Can't pester you. Eating," she said through her ice cream.

He shook his head and stood up, following his daughter.

"Ebony," she paused as he said her name and turned around. "Can I have a word with you? We haven't been able to talk alone in a long time without being interfered by someone else."

"Sure."

He ushered her into the family tree room across from the den. Ebony stared at the tree on the pale green wall, looking at the span of her entire family. There were the Malfoy's branched out with Narcissa and Draco's name between Lucius and hers. Andromeda was on the tree to her surprise as well as Tonks but not her husband. Bellatrix stood alone, never married, her face painted there, eyes still crazy even before she was a Death Eater. She followed it up to Regulus, her uncle who had long since passed away. She had few memories of him seeing as how her father was sixteen when she was born and she was hidden since then. Her father's name was next to his, the picture burned away and where she should be there was nothing as if she didn't exist.

"It means nothing you know," Sirius said and she looked to see him looking at the wall. "Words on a wall have no meaning. It doesn't make you any less loved."

"I know it's just…so many Death Eaters," she observed, touching her wrist absent mindedly.

"Yes…well, but as I told you, it doesn't mean you have to be one. You're part of the Order. Part of the good fight." He paused for a moment and Ebony didn't say anything. "I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything in general. For not being able to be there for you and missing out on most of your life…I'm sorry."

"You couldn't control it," she told him. "You didn't know and it wasn't like I was brought up in some horrible place by a monster like you'd like to believe because I wasn't."

"I know it's just Severus -."

"No," she cut him off, holding her hand up. "I've been having to listen to you two argue and fight for over two months and I can't do it anymore. You two go at like you think I'm invisible to it all, like it doesn't hurt me at all to see you two hate each other but it does because I love you both and I know you both love me but you just can't see what it does to me to have you say such things to each other. As much as you hate to admit it, Snape does love me as his own, it's not to spite you. And he feels you're trying to take me away from him just to torment him. And you're both doing it out of fear and I understand that but please…just stop the fighting for now…because when this is all over you'll have to act like one family because I'm not giving either of you up. I love you both."

Sirius put his arms around her and gave her a hug. She returned it, arms going around his back. "When did you grow up and get to be so smart."

"I'm not real sure. I think I was always this smart. I just got bigger."

"Well, stop growing up."

She smiled. "I'm kind of all grown up, Dad."

"You'll always be my little girl no matter how old you get," he pulled back, hands on her arms. "Even if my little girl has a boyfriend."

"Sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but considering we had just broken you out of your cell and had to make sure you left right quick, it didn't really cross my mind."

"It's all right. I know him now…I have him under my roof…and well…accidents do happen."

"Dad!"

"What?" he asked innocently. "I'm just saying if he were to trip and fall down the stairs breaking a bone or two, it wouldn't be my fault."

"Dad," she warned him.

"Very well then. I won't harm him…unless he harms you then I'll make it look like an accident."

She rolled her eyes. "You sound like my other dad."

"Take it back!" he demanded but with a smile.

"No, it's kind of cute knowing you both love me enough to say the exact same thing. I get a twisted feeling of satisfaction out of it."

"Whatever makes you happy," he snorted.

"Exactly," she smiled and gave him one more hug. "I'm going to bed, Dad. I have to get up early and head back to Hogwarts to be with my other Dad and getting Chelly up before noon is a hefty task most of the time much less having to wake her before six. I will write to you I promise."

"And you'll be safe?"

"Yes, as much as I can be."

"Good, it's all I ask…will you be visiting for Christmas?"

She bit her lower lip. "I think I can arrange to be here later in the afternoon because I know my Dad…I know Snape will want me there with him too and Chelly in the morning. But I will stop by at the very least."

He took a deep breath and she saw he wanted to argue but thankfully he didn't. "All right then. Off to bed with you. I'll see you off in the morning before you head back to work."

Ebony climbed the stairs and headed to her room, knowing she was just going to be laying in there, doing more thinking than sleeping.

**VISTOR**

Ebony still lay on her back staring at the ceiling in her room. It wasn't too far from off from the way she remembered it as a kid. The bed seemed smaller to her, but it was a full size bed that she had had since she was five and she currently owned a queen sized one in a room a bit bigger than this. But the stuffed animals were still on the dressers covered in dust, her childish posters of cartoon characters still posted to the walls. It hadn't changed over the years, only she had. She'd grown up like all children do and though she tried to think it through to pieces, she couldn't find anything wrong with the way she was brought up…in fact she wondered if it were better this way then the way she would have been.

She had been a secret after all, had to be hidden from everyone's sight with no one able to know she existed to begin with. She was happier this way. With Snape as her last name and Severus as her father she didn't have to hide, she wasn't a secret and she enjoyed that growing up. She was thoroughly amazed to play with kids her age when she went to school. She liked it. So she couldn't wish as Sirius did that none of this had ever happened. She was content with her life the way it was going and by the looks of it, she might have Sirius back in her life fully as well. Things might just end up going smoothly for once.

There was a knock on her door and Ebony let out a sigh wondering who it could be, but not thoroughly caring. It was well past one in the morning and she had to get up in five hours. "It's open."

The door creaked open and she saw the light from the hall cast shadows on her wall before disappearing with a click of the door. She turned her head to the right to see who it was and sat upright quickly at the sight of George in her room.

"George! What are you doing in here?" she asked in a rushed whisper as he came over to sit on her bed pulling his black sweat pant covered legs up to him.

"I had to see you, didn't think you'd mind," he shrugged.

"No, I don't but my dad might have a problem along with my Uncle and your parents," she hissed.

"Relax, your dad doesn't scare me half as much as your other dad."

"Yeah, because he's yet to catch you sneaking off somewhere with me to look for your sock."

"And my parents won't freak out. I'm seventeen you know."

"I know and I'm twenty."

"Is that why you've been ignoring me?"

She shifted on the bed. "I haven't been ignoring you."

"Yeah, you have. I'm not that stupid. Are you having second thoughts? Is that why you're distancing yourself?"

"No, George. It has nothing to do with age," she reassured him, patting his knee.

His hand covered hers, holding it before she could move away, "Then what is it?"

"I just…I wasn't sure how you'd react to all this…because I was never able to tell you."

"You mean about Sirius Black being your biological Dad?"

She nodded but realized it was pretty dark in her room and he might not be able to see it. "Yes."

He chuckled softly, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "Why did you think that would matter?"

"Because I lied to you."

"You didn't lie to me. It's pretty obvious that you had to keep that a secret for your own good. And I never asked you 'is Professor Snape your actual father', have I?"

"No."

"Then you never lied to me."

"But I've been keeping this a secret from you," she said.

"So what? Am I supposed to get mad at you for every secret you keep?"

"No…"

"Well…unless you're cheating on me? Are you?"

"No," she said. "Of course not."

"Then I'm not mad at you. I'd be a crappy boyfriend if I was. I imagined you had a job to do anyway which was why you were never around and in the meetings all the time. I understand that. Then you came home covered in mud and bruised up and I was actually disappointed to find out you were fighting dementor's and not in a wild mud match with another girl."

She managed to sock him in the arm in the dark with a gasp of a laugh. He grabbed her wrist before she could hit him again and pulled her to him, bringing her to her knees next to him. She could see his face in the bit of light, bright and warm as usual as he looked at her. "It's okay to not be able to say things that you swear to others you won't say."

"So you're not mad at me?" she asked and draped her arms around his shoulders.

"No, not at all…just if you ever do have a mud match with another girl, please video tape it if I'm not there because you look hot when you're dirty."

Ebony laughed and pushed away from him, sitting back near her pillows. "You better get back to bed. Don't want you getting busted. Not sure if my Dad will throw you down the stairs or not."

"I think I'll take the risk," he said and crawled up besides her. "Because I haven't got a chance to spend much time with you over the summer."

She shook her head as he lay down besides her but she made no attempt to throw him out of her room. She wanted to be next to him, to not be alone in here. "Okay, but it's your funeral."

"As long as you cry during it and don't run off with Fred then it's okay."

"Eww…I couldn't be with Fred, he's not attractive."

"Hey…we're twins you know?" he said offended and poked her in the ribs.

She snickered. "I know, but you're the more attractive."

"See, I knew there was a reason I liked you," he said and put his arm around her. She moved in closer, putting her head on his chest. "Besides for the obvious."

"What? Because I boost your ego."

"Exactly," he said with a yawn.

Ebony felt herself getting tired as well and found that spot in his shoulder that made her comfortable. With George next to her she felt better, all her thoughts seemed to stop and any discomforts she had about being in the room were lifted. She felt at home with him and before long she was in a dreamless sleep.

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_Chapter 3 coming soon!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I only own Chelly, Ebony, and now Luis_

**LUIS AND LUNA**

Harry's eyes widened at the sight of the dark skeleton like horse pulling the cart. "What is it?"

Hermione, Neville, and Ron looked around in confusion. "What's what?"

"That?" Harry pointed at the horse creature. "Pulling the carriage."

"Nothing's pulling the carriage, Harry," Hermione said with a bit of concern in her eyes. "It's pulling itself like always."

Harry walked around to the back of the carriage, staring at the creature, not noticing the two people already sitting in the cart across from each other, noses buried in magazines. The young blonde girl spoke first in a dazed voice that was shockingly her normal one "You're not going mad," she lowered her Quibbler. "I can see them too, you're just as sane as I am."

"That's not real comforting coming from you, Luna Bird," the older boy said. He turned around in his seat to look at Harry. "I see them too, Harry. Don't worry about it. It's nothing bad." He faced back around to his Quibbler. He glanced up again, his dark eyes looking over them as they entered the cart. Ron motioned Hermione in first to sit next to him, recognizing Luis, the 6th year from Ravenclaw.

Hermione whispered furiously to him as the two started bickering over who had to sit next to him since Harry had already sat next to Luna, Neville on his other side. "Seriously, Ron," Luis said and put his magazine down for the moment, tilting his head to the side. "You can't catch homosexuality from me and if you think I'm going to hit on you or grab your ass then you need to look in the mirror and stop flattering yourself," he crossed his legs and picked up his magazine with a roll of his eyes. "Please, even I have morals and standards."

Ron seemed to blush, but still pushed Hermione to sit in first, taking the seat at the end of the carriage.

"Everyone this is Luis Laguna," Hermione introduced them to the older boy. He gave a nod but didn't pay them any more attention than necessary. "And Looney Love…" Hermione caught herself and Luis shot her a look from where he sat. "Luna Lovegood," she corrected herself and looked away, fascinated with her sleeve. She glanced up at Luna. "Interesting necklace."

Luna touched the charms at the end of the blue ribbon. "It's a charm actually. Keeps away the nargills."

"What's a nargill?" Ron asked.

"It's apparently a creature that steals your things right out of your room at night and hides them away," Luis said still reading his magazine.

"You seem to know a lot about them," Hermione said as the carriage started moving, pulled by the skeleton horse.

He shrugged and held up his wrist where a similar charm dangled from a ribbon wrapped around it. "She's my neighbor."

"That explains it," Ron mumbled.

Luis shot him a look past Hermione. "You live right near us, Ronald. And it explains those sweaters your mum sews you. Loved the gray one with the pink R on it she made you last year. Saw you bury it outside, be a shame if she found out about it."

Ron blushed the shade of his hair and decided it best to keep his focus outside the carriage.

"I'm hungry," Luna said. "I hope there's pudding."

"You're just as big on your appetite as Ron and Chelly," Harry said with a forged smile.

"Oh yes," Luna nodded. "It's from my mum's side. She liked to eat, too. Chelly used to come over all the time and bake with us."

"You know Chelly?" Hermione asked.

"She's my cousin," Luna bobbed her head, fiddling with the charm around her neck. "My mum was her aunt, her mum's sister. We haven't been able to spend much time together over the last few years though. Shame really, but she is older and she does write over the summer and I see her at school now when she's not busy."

"Oh well…that's cool. Never knew Chelly had any other family," Hermione said.

"She has a mum and a dad too," Luis said sarcastically. "It's amazing. She even has an older brother and sister and a dog and an owl. You'd think she was human or something."

"It's not what I meant," Hermione said but it didn't stop the flush from rising to her cheeks. "It's just she never mentions her family and she's always with Ebony and Professor Snape over the summer."

Luis visibly shuddered at the sound of the Potions Masters name. "Don't know why. He scares the hell out of me."

"Professor Snape?"

Luis nodded and turned the page in his Quibbler that seemed to be printed upside down. "I just do my work and shut up in there. Don't know how Chelly can stand him much less live in the same quarters…I'd be afraid to sleep at night just as Ron would if I shared a room with him…though God knows he'd have no reason to."

"Oh look we're here," Luna smiled as they pulled up to the front of the castle and got out, parting their ways prepared for another year. Hopefully better than the last…but all unaware of the disaster heading their way clad in pink.

**DINNER AND NEW D.A.D.A**

"Eb, who is that?" Chelly asked as they entered the Great Hall from the side door to sit at their usual seats. Next to Chelly's seat was a pudgy smiling woman clad in pink with a kitten brooch on her pink sweater.

"No idea," she shrugged and glanced over at her father as they approached.

"The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," he mumbled, obviously upset about not getting the position again.

"That's her?" Chelly frowned. "She doesn't look that evil."

Chelly took her seat next to the woman, Ebony on her other side and as usual her dad next to her. The woman turned to Chelly as the food appeared and Chelly piled her plate high.

"Are you going to eat that all, dear?" she asked, voice overly cheery and chipper.

Chelly nodded. "I usually do."

"Oh," she said in a tone that meant she had more to say on the matter.

"What?"

"It's just not very lady like to eat so much," she told her, still with that cheery tone.

"I'm hungry. I have a big appetite."

The woman actually looked Chelly over to her surprise and utter horror. "I can see that."

Chelly bit the inside of her cheek to keep from speaking out of term and bit into her pork chop.

"Are you pregnant?"

Chelly coughed and even Ebony choked on her food, eyes moving to see Chelly's flushed face turn angry. "Excuse me?"

"It would explain all the eating and extra weight on you, my dear," she said, still with the obnoxious smile.

"No, I'm not pregnant," she said through gritted teeth. "I'm just hungry. I didn't eat all day."

"Oh…that explains the appetite at least."

Chelly spun her head at Ebony who looked just as dumbstruck by the woman's rudeness and bluntness on the situation.

"And what do you teach, it's obviously not flying lessons," she giggled at her own joke, the laugh just as bad as her voice.

"I aid in Potions and Transfigurations and…regrettably the Dark Arts sometimes," Chelly said, her anger evident in her voice.

"Oh, you must be Chelly Murillo…yes, you're retaking one of the classes you failed in sixth year as well…potions I do believe it was yet you aid in that class."

"I aid in the fifth year of it, yes," she replied. "But don't worry, Ebony does most of the aiding, I just grade papers."

The woman's eyes slid to Ebony. "You're Ebony Snape. I should have guessed with your dark clothing and hair and hooked nose. You should really try brighter colors, it'll beautify your complexion more than the dark dankens it. It _might_ help."

Ebony was glad Dumbledore began to speak before either her or Chelly could say anything to the witch of a woman. They might have been fired for it and there were children present who shouldn't hear the words the two girls were thinking.

"Good evening children," Dumbledore spoke from his podium. "Now we have two changes in starting this year. We're pleased to welcome back Professor Grumpy Plank who'll be taking care of Magical Creatures while Professor Hagrid is on temporary leave. We also like to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dolores Umbridge. And I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing the professor good luck."

Neither Chelly nor Ebony made any move to clap or acknowledge her. Chelly kept eating her dessert despite the disregarding looks Umbridge gave her. The woman cleared her throat loudly causing the teachers and Dumbledore to look in her direction as she stood up and made her way to the podium.

"What is she doing now?" Ebony whispered furiously to Chelly.

"No idea," she hissed back

"That bitch called me ugly."

"She called me fat."

"Thank you Professor for those kind words of welcome," she went on. "And how lovely to see all your bright happy faces smiling up at me."

Chelly leaned over. "I don't see one bright happy face in the crowd."

"She's delusional," Ebony nodded.

"And I was wrong, she's definitely evil," Chelly added and neither saw Snape roll his eyes at their whispering. He reached past Ebony and grabbed Chelly's ponytail at the same time as Ebony's, giving then a small yet firm yank. Both girls winced, rubbing the back of their heads and glaring over at them as he motioned them to be silent.

"I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends," she boasted cheerfully.

"Over my fat ass," Chelly mumbled still rubbing the back of her head and eating her dessert. Ebony saw George and Fred roll their eyes and smiled, glad her boyfriend would give this bitch hell. They both caught Luis snickering at the thought from where he sat with Luna. Chelly could only wonder what he thought of Umbridge's outfit.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the educations of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. Although each Head Master has brought something new to this historic school," she paused to smile at Dumbledore though the older wizard looked more like he wanted to hex her out 

the school. "Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected and stop practices that ought to be prohibited." She smiled giving off her obnoxious giggle as everyone clapped unsurely.

Chelly and Ebony stared in dismay, neither clapping, to the point Chelly stopped eating at her words as a cold dread sank into both of them.

"Eb…did she just say what I think she just said?" Chelly asked eyes on the pink pig.

"Yeah, Chell," Ebony nodded with a sigh. "The Ministry is interfering…Fudge is getting involved."

"We're screwed aren't we?"

"No yet…but we're getting there."

**HARRYS NIGHTMARE**

"Ow!" Ebony whispered and grumbled at Chelly as they shared her cloak. "Chelly, that was my foot."

"Sorry."

"You've been hanging around Tonk's too much," Ebony whispered as they walked down the hall towards Oliver's room. Chelly had wanted to see him since she hadn't had a chance to all summer. She didn't really have to beg Ebony either considering she had wanted to see George anyways and it was along the way. They waited until they were sure Snape was asleep before sneaking out, not wanting to give him reason to curse their bedroom doors or slip any unwanted potions into their coffee in the morning.

"I am not a klutz…besides I noticed she's been spending an awful lot of time with your Uncle Remus," Chelly smiled and nudged her with her elbow.

"What are you getting at?"

"I think they're seeing each other."

"Are you kidding? He's more than ten years older than she is!" she exclaimed in a whisper.

"So?"

"She's only three years older than me!"

"That is kind of gross."

"You think? My Uncle cannot be involved with my cousin."

Chelly was silent for a moment and shook her head. "Please never word it like that again…it sounds more wrong than it is."

"The thought of it is wrong."

Chelly laughed. "Come on, Eb. Pink haired werewolf puppies. They'd be so cute."

Ebony couldn't say she wasn't happy to be dropping Chelly at Oliver's door at last. "Here, be with your boyfriend and tell him about your exciting summer of waking up at five in the morning to train nonstop all day."

"Have fun with your boyfriend and tell him to help you relieve your stress."

"You're so lucky I don't kill you…you got your invisibility potion?"

She patted her pocket as she opened his door. "Yeah, your Dad wakes up at four which means I got five hours to be with my babe…and wish he were Krum."

"I heard that," Oliver said from somewhere inside the room.

Chelly giggled. "See ya in the morning."

Ebony shook her head and pulled her hood back over her as she continued on to the Fat Ladies portrait. "Blood Pops," she whispered and the door opened enough for her to slip inside. She didn't put her hood down just yet, decide it wasn't a good idea in case anyone was still up.

She made her way up the first flight of stairs to the boys' dormitories and paused taking a deep breath as she stood near the window, the moonlight cascading through. She grabbed at her wrist, finding it suddenly sore and pulled her watch down, rubbing the concealing charm away with a simple wave of her hand, the diamonds glowing slightly. Her eyes widened and another gasp caught in her throat. The snake slithered out of the skulls mouth, moving about her skin. It hadn't done that in months, not since Voldermort first returned…which meant he was up to something…Harry.

Ebony hurried down the corridor and waved her hand in front of the dorm door and stepped inside to the room Harry shared. She spotted his bed immediately and saw he was in the throws of a nightmare. She crossed around Ron's bed and sat on Harry's pulling her hood down as she shook his shoulders, concealing his bed with a silencing charm so no one would hear them.

"Harry," she said and shook his shoulders. "Harry, wake up…Harry," she could feel the mark on her getting warmer and knew whatever he was seeing wasn't just a dream. It was Voldermort crossing his mind. "Harry, you need to wake up," she said, digging her nails into his shoulder, hoping it would snap him out of it. His eyes shot open and he sat up with a start, panting heavily.

"Eb…Ebony…" he panted, blinking to adjust to the dark. "What are you doing here?"

"You were having a fit," she said and saw Ron was awake on his bed, having seen Harry's troubles. She put a finger to her lips, motioning him to be quiet. He nodded his head, concern still in his eyes for Harry.

"It was just a dream…"

"You and I both know it wasn't…you saw something…you saw into Voldermort's head…what was it?"

"Promise," he said, his breathing toned down. "Promise not to tell."

"Yes."

"It was a hallway, a dark marble hallway…and a ball of some sort. I'm not sure…Voldermort was reaching for something…I can't remember," he ran a hand down his face and Ebony put her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it…just try to get some sleep."

"How did you know anyway?"

"Know what?"

"That I was having a…dream."

Ebony shrugged her shoulders, unable to tell him the truth about her mark. She ran her thumb over her wrist casually but concealing it once more with the charm. "Intuition. Same way I always knew you were in trouble…you're okay now though." She meant it, her mark had stopped moving all together, the power of it ceasing in her.

He nodded, too tired to argue with her and lay back down. She sat with him for a moment until he was asleep once more and then stood up releasing the silencing charm. She stopped by Ron who was still awake. "Let me know if it happens again, okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded his head. "I will. I promise…is he gonna be okay?"

Ebony glanced at Harry's sleeping form. "He will be. Now I need to go make sure your brother's okay."

Ron frowned. "What's wrong with George?"

"Nothing," she smiled at him. "Yet."

Ron looked appalled and buried his head under his pillow, she could hear him whimper at the images that must have sparked in his mind.

She left the room and went down the hall to his room where she cast a concealing charm on his bed so she wouldn't be seen there. He scooted over, half asleep in his bed to let her in then draped his arm around her, falling right back to sleep. Ebony let her eyes drift closed, not bothering to think about what Harry's dream had meant. Least not in the comfort of her boyfriend's arms.

**DADA NIGHTMARE**

Chelly yawned, sitting back in her chair feet propped up on the chair in front of her watching the other students. To her pity Draco was in this particular class and Luis wasn't. Nor was Ebony for that matter. So she was winging it on her own today dreading to see what Umbridge would have to comment on her today. She watched the paper bird Pavarti had made floating around the air, soaring over their heads with a smile before it burst into flames and crumbled to the ground. Umbridge stood holding her wand with a great big smile still speaking cheerfully. Chelly grumbled and sunk deeper into her chair. The bitch was already getting on her nerves.

She came strolling down the aisle flicking her wand as she went causing words to appear on the chalk board. "Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations. O.W.L. Commonly known as OWLS." She flicked her wand towards Chelly and the chair under her feet violently moved caused her to slam forward in her seat, glaring up at the woman. "Study hard and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so and the consequences may be severe," she glanced at Chelly with a peachy smile that she took offensively.

She flicked at the books on the desk and they sorted themselves out to each of the students. "Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven. You'll be pleased to know that from now on you'll be following a carefully structured Ministry approved course of defensive magic. Yes?"

Hermione spoke up as called on. "There's nothing in here about using defensive spells?"

Even Chelly was frowning as she looked through the book. It was a child's book basically. With little to no knowledge on anything in the subject matter. For the first time she found herself wishing Snape was teaching the class.

"Using spells," she laughed and Chelly grimaced at the sound. It was like nails on a chalk board. Her ears felt like bleeding. "Well I can't imagine why you'd need to use spells in my classroom?"

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron asked.

"You'll be learning about defensive spells in a secure risk free way," she said.

"Oh, what the hell," Chelly said and rolled her eyes the same moment Harry spoke.

"What the use of that? If we're going to be attacked it won't be risk free," Harry argued.

"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class," she said heatedly and sent a look at Chelly who rolled her eyes and raised her hand mockingly.

"I'm your aide not your student. And Harry has a point."

She ignored Chelly. "It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations which, after all, is what school is all about."

"And how's theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there," Harry argued.

"There is nothing out there, dear. Who do you imagine would want to attack children like yourself?" she asked with a cheerful smile.

"Voldermort," Chelly coughed the same time Harry spoke.

"Oh I don't know maybe Lord Voldermort," he said and that got the classroom whispering. Chelly sat up in her seat, leaning forward to get involved if necessary and knowing Ebony was going to regret having missed this. She felt the Pink Puff was getting ready to explode soon. And she wasn't going to let Harry go down alone, not after the witch called her fat last night.

It was silent for a few seconds and her smile faded as she slowly walked up the aisle. "Now let me make this quite plain. You have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie," she said stopping in front of Harry's desk.

"It's not a lie! I saw him. I fought him!" he exclaimed.

"Detention!" he yelled. "Mr. Potter."

"Oh now that's just unfair," Chelly spoke up for Harry, feet firmly on the floor. "Even if it is a lie, which it's not, he has every right to voice his opinion in class."

"It is my class and it is the truth that he has not returned," Umbridge said.

"So according to you Cedric Diggory dropped dead on his own accord," Harry asked.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," Umbridge said sweetly.

"That's bullshit!" Chelly exclaimed having had enough by her saying Diggory died on his own. She could be calm about her calling her fat and saying Harry lied but using Cedric, her friend, as a pawn was over the top. "You're saying he did the killing curse to himself on accident? He was murdered. Voldermort killed him!"

"ENOUGH!" she shouted and Chelly sat back in her seat, fists clenched in anger. She wanted to punch the pudgy woman in the face. "Detention for you too, Ms. Murillo. And Professor Snape will hear of this."

"You can't give me detention," she huffed. "I'm not a student."

"You are in my classroom just the same and probably for the last time."

"Good. I don't want to come back to this class," she spat and folded her arms over her chest, trying to calm her anger down. She managed to go the rest of the class with not decking the teacher or speaking to her at all. After it was done she all but ran out of the class fuming on the stairway, mumbling to herself.

"It's not fair," Hermione said as she came down the stairs and stopped next to Chelly with Ron, Harry, and Neville with her.

"For once we agree," Chelly nodded and leaned against the wall. "That lady is a rotten bitch. She gave me detention for nothing."

"Thanks," Harry said suddenly.

She frowned at him. "For what?"

"Sticking up for me…believing in me."

"Think nothing of it…it's what _real_ friends are for," she glared at Hermione when saying it, not even bothering to look at the others.

"What was that look for?" Hermione asked her.

"I'm glad that doesn't get passed you. You can stand up for yourself at least but God forbid you can help your friends out without worrying about ruining your perfect record or showing some loyalties against a professor. Not when it comes to others thinking badly of you or, gasp, a teacher thinking badly of you. No, you'd rather sit there and listen to someone talk down to your friends especially when it's Harry."

"I do not!"

"You did it last year, Hermione!" she argued right back, nearly yelling. "When everyone thought he put his name in the Cup you turned away. You said you believed him, but you turned away and you're doing the same shit now! Nothing changes with you. Ever! It still remains that you can't stand anyone thinking badly of you and when the spotlight is on Harry and he needs his friends the most you go running away. You leave me and Ebony and Oliver to do the dirty work, to do all the fighting and once everything is settled then you come back like everything's great. And Harry may forgive you and be okay with it because he's a good guy, well I'm not. I'm a bitch and I know it but someone's gotta knock you on your ass and if no one else will, then fine, I can. I'm tired of you running away. Pick a side and stick to it, quit running when things start to look bad because it's just going to start looking a whole lot worse."

Hermione was rendered speechless her eyes watering and she turned and took off running down the stairs. Ron sighed and taped Harry on the shoulder, saying he'd see him later and went after Hermione, Neville following him.

Chelly snorted and watched them go. "Going after her like her little owl…those two should date and get it over with."

"You didn't have to be so harsh with her," Harry said.

She shrugged. "I believe in tough love. She needs it because you two aren't real strict with her and I'm sorry but it's the truth, Harry…I know they're your friends too, but the truth remains that Ebony and me stand by you through the worst of it, we don't relent."

"Thank you still though, you didn't have to go get yourself in trouble over that."

"Course I did…I've been wanting to since she called me fat," she pouted and folded her arms over her chest angrily.

"She called you fat?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"She heavily implied it…that pink furred hippo…she's one to talk!"

"What's got you in a fit?"

She turned around to see Luis coming up the stairs.

"I got detention."

"Oh my God," he said in shock. "From who?"

"Umbridge," Harry sighed.

He scrunched his face in distaste. "The pudgy lady wearing that God awful pink color, she looks like Jigglypuff."

Chelly imitated the Pokemon, puffing her cheeks out and giggled and even Harry laughed getting the joke.

"She puffs up when he gets mad all right," Chelly sighed coming down from her laugh.

"You pissed her off so soon?" Luis asked in shock.

She shrugged. "The bitch had it coming. Where are you coming from anyway?"

"Potions," Luis shivered. "I passed the first quiz today though. He didn't speak to or anything, I take that as a good day."

"The way I see it, I'll be in your class real soon to make up the one I failed," she said.

"Are you serious?" his eyes gave way his relief. "That'd be great. Professor Snape likes you more than he likes me."

"Yeah, and you're good at potions so Chelly won't blow up another classroom and make it pink or something next."

"Snape would love that," she rolled her eyes and socked his shoulder. "And I don't blow up everything you jerk."

"Oh look, Chelly's flirting with yet another guy, Potter no less," Draco said coming down the stairs, a few steps ahead of them "Don't you ever stay with just one man. Last year you were all over Krum. Then it was Diggory and he wound up dead. I guess it's good you leave Oliver, wouldn't want him to wind up dead, too. Potter on the other hand…"

Chelly looked ready to deck him, her fist was balled up and she took a step forward but Luis beat her up the step as Harry grabbed her by her elbow.

"Hey Draco, do you have a girlfriend? Because I see you're always pestering Ebony and making comments on Potter 'having a girlfriend', but you're never with anyone." Luis asked him, clutching his book to his chest.

Draco blinked a few times. "I'm with lots of girls. Something _you_ wouldn't understand, queer." He chuckled getting his two goons to do the same whether they got the joke or not. Luis was betting on not.

"Suuuurrreee," Luis stretched the word out. "Mmmm hmmm…I understand," he patted Malfoy's shoulder as he walked past him, keeping his hand lingering there. "It's a good excuse, but don't worry you're secret is safe with me, I got your back…in more ways than one," he glanced at Malfoy's backside with a and a wink that caused the younger boy to freak and jump back, away from him in fear as he hurried down the staircase, not bothering to look back.

Chelly and Harry were laughing at that point. Chelly shook her head. "You never cease to amaze me. I think you're the only person Draco really fears."

"That boy is so gay, he just doesn't know it yet," Luis said and continued up the stairs. "I better get to class, don't want to be late for Devinations…bet she didn't predict that."

Harry sighed and put his arm around Chelly's shoulders. "Ready for detention?"

"Not really," she groaned. "Anywhere near that woman is a punishment worse than death."

"It shouldn't be too bad," Harry said as they continued up to her office. "Probably just writing lines."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Chelly agreed…but would find herself once again wrong.

**DETENTION**

Harry knocked on the door and waited for her sickly sweet voice to tell the two to come in. Harry went in first followed by Chelly whose eyes widened at the sight of the office. It was pink. Everything in it was pink from carpet to ceiling. Only the desks were brown. And worse yet she had at least a hundred meowing cat plates hanging on the wall, each cat moving around, meowing…it was frightening. Ebony and Oliver were not going to believe this.

"Good evening Mr. Potter, Ms. Murillo," she smiled and gestured to the desk where two chairs sat next to each other. "Sit."

They glanced warily at each other, both thinking she had to be crazy, and took their seats.

"You're both going to be doing some lines for me today," she said as they settled into the chairs with the parchment in front of them. Chelly reached into her purse to get out a pen just as Harry did. "No, not with your quills. You're both going to be using a very special one."

She laid one down beside each of them. Chelly picked it up, leaning her head in her other hand, tapping it against the paper. "Now, Ms. Murillo. I want you to write 'I will not be disrespectful'. And Mr. Potter, I want you to write 'I must not tell lies.'"

Chelly rolled her eyes and shook her head at Harry while Umbridge was busy looking out her window. Harry raised his eyebrows and gave a nod in agreement with her. "How many times?" Chelly asked with a sigh.

"Let's say for as long as it takes the message to sink in."

She turned back to the window and Chelly stuck her tongue out as Harry spoke. "You haven't given us any ink."

"Oh, you won't be needing any ink."

Chelly frowned at Harry who shook his head and the two started writing. Chelly scribbled the words onto the scroll and was ready to start the next line. She winced suddenly, her left hand hurting and moved it away from where she had been leaning her head on it. "Ow…oww." She stared in horror as she saw the words cutting into the back of her hand as if with a razor in her own writing before fading away again leaving a pink mark. She stared at Harry, his having down the same both of them looking horrified.

Umbridge came around with a look of concern as she looked at the two. "Yes?"

"Nothing," Harry said as the two stared at her, this monster of a woman.

"That's right. Because you both know deep down you deserve to be punished. Don't you, Mr. Potter, Ms. Murillo."

"Sure," Chelly nodded and rubbed the back of her hand. "Whatever you say."

"Go on." She said with a smile. "Continue til it sinks in."

Chelly stared at Harry in horror. 'Til it sinks in'. They had to continue writing until the message was scarred into their hands. It was already hurting. She couldn't imagine having to keep going, but she 

had no choice. Like Harry, she continued on, gritting her teeth against the pain. She thought it couldn't be bad, she was wrong. This woman wasn't evil, she was a fucking monster.

Next chapter posted soon


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: It follows the original plot of the movie with minor adjustments and the insert of Chelly, Luis and Ebony. I was going to do it by the book, but it was so much easier to capture the lines from the movie and follow it in that order. Hope you enjoy it._

_Disclaimer: I only own Ebony, Chelly, and Luis…though I'd love to be in possession of Cedric and Oliver_

**BACK TO THE DUNGEON**

Chelly kept rubbing the back of her hand and wincing at the pain. The words were scarred into her hand now, angry and red and Umbridge had the damn nerve to _smile _as they left the pink room of hell and tell them to have a nice evening. Now that she had the words "I will not be disrespectful" scarred into her flesh for life she was supposed to have a nice evening? She felt like crying from a mixture of the anger, embarrassment and pain. But she wouldn't give that bitch the satisfaction of knowing she was getting to her.

She turned the corner and bumped right into one of the Weasley twins. "Oh, hey Chelly," he said.

She blinked up at him, trying to decide which he was. "I'm gonna guess Fred, since you're not coming from down the dungeon."

"Good guess, you are a Ravenclaw."

"What are you doing around?"

"Oh, just testing some of our Weasley Wizard products," he said and there was a loud booming noise from the other side of the castle. Chelly saw the smile on his face. "That's one of them. The Decoy Detonator. Real fun that one was. You should stop by the common room some time and get some. I'm sure George has given Ebony some by now when he's not busy snogging her."

She chuckled and brushed a strand of hair from her face and Fred saw the scar. "Ouch, what happened to your hand?"

She brought her hand back down busted now. It was going to be impossible to hide this. "Nothing."

"Nothing? Geez, looks like you carved it. Did you use one our quills and have it go wrong?" Fred asked and took her hand for a better look.

Chelly felt a jolt go through her as a vision crossed over her eyes like a movie. She was outside the castle in one of the upper corridors. Fred, she could only assume since he had touched her, was smiling at Percy, both had their wands out and there were two Death Eaters at their feet. Then there was an explosion as the side of the castle wall had been blown away and everything went black.

"Chelly?" she felt someone shake her shoulder and blinked a few times as her sight came back to normal and she saw Fred standing there, perfectly fine. "You okay? You spaced out? Thought maybe you had one of our Daydream Charms for a minute there."

"Sorry Fred," she shook her head to clear it wondering what that had been about. "Just got lost in thought. What were you saying?"

"Your hand?"

"Oh yeah," she flexed it a little. "It's okay, it doesn't hurt too much."

He reached into his sweater pocket and pulled out a container. "Here, it's Essence of Murtlap. It'll help it not scar so bad. George and I use it like a bible. Trying out our products nearly severs our limbs half the time."

"Thanks," she said and tucked it into her purse. "I'll remember that."

"I better be on my way to the room before they come looking for whoever set it."

"Where'd you set it off?"

He grinned as he started walking away. "Umbridge's office."

Chelly chuckled her approval as she headed towards the dungeon staircase. "Nice…later Fred."

She stared at her hand and flexed it again, clenching it into a fist and releasing. It felt stiff and sore, the cuts still red. This had to be illegal, child abuse of some form or another. Surely the ministry wouldn't approve of this kind of harsh punishment.

She put her hand to the door and it glowed then opened. She stepped in and before the door even shut Snape was bringing up the subject.

"First day of class for the year and already you've been thrown out of one you aided?" he asked with an anger filled tone.

With a heavy sigh she turned around. "Yes…with good reason."

"I do hope so," he said, black eyes on her from where he sat in the chair. Ebony sat in her usual lounge chair by the fire pit that burned brightly looking sympathetic. "Because not only were you removed from your position in that class but you received detention."

"I was doing what was right on my morals. She was attacking Harry and I stood up for him because she was in the wrong," she argued right back, dropping her purse on the table.

"She's a Professor, it's her classroom. She's never in the wrong. You were wrong by speaking out of term and getting yourself into trouble over Potter no less," he said.

"You weren't there but like you'd care. She was calling Harry a liar about Voldermort not being back but the three of us all know he is, especially you."

"Dolores Umbridge is part of the Ministry, of course she'll believe it but it's not in your right to argue against her."

"I'm supposed to sit back and let her bully everyone then!"

"You refrain from speaking and keep your thoughts to yourself and respect your superiors."

"That's utter bullshit!" she exclaimed.

"Watch your language, young lady," he warned her.

"No, I'll respect her when she can be decent to me because from the second I met her, the first thing she did was call me fat and Ebony ugly and today she pretty much leaned to the point of calling me stupid. And you want me to respect that? Hell no."

Snape turned his head to Ebony who made it a point to only watch the fire. "Did she say those things to you two?"

Ebony shrugged. "She wasn't really polite, Dad. It's why I decided not to aide the Dark Arts class this year. I knew I wouldn't be able to hold my tongue and not say anything to her if she was to do exactly what Chelly says she did today."

Snape shook his head. "It still doesn't excuse you from causing a scene and getting detention nonetheless, you should have known better than to let your temper get the best of you. You're an Auror now, part of the Order."

"You're right," she sighed and rubbed at her forehead. "I'm sorry. I should have held my tongue and just let it go but she brought up Cedric and…" she stopped noticing Snape was no longer listening. He was staring at her hand still on her forehead…shit she had used her left hand to rub her head.

"What on earth," he stood up from his chair and grabbed her hand. Luckily this time it was vision free as he examined the back of her hand pulling her into the fire light.

"Okay, that's attached to me you know," she nearly tripped over the chair at the dining table as he brought her towards the fire place.

"What did you do to your hand?" he asked. Ebony was on her feet now looking at her friend's arm.

"_I _didn't do anything. _This_ was my punishment in detention."

Snape stared at her in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

"Umbridge. She has these quills that you use to write lines and it rips into your hand whenever you finish a line then heals up until you write another one and keeps doing that until it's etched into your hand. As you can see I had to write 'I will not be disrespectful'. She said write them until it sinks in…she meant it literally."

Snape was rendered speechless as he stared at the angry red words on the back of her left hand.

"Tell me that's illegal?" Ebony said.

"Harry has them too. His was 'I must not tell lies'."

Ebony's jaw was set tight. "She's crossed the line. I won't stand for this."

"I forbid you to do anything, Ebony," Snape spoke slowly and seriously.

"But-."

"No, I forbid you from ever openly going out against her. She is part of the Ministry and very high up the scale. If you are caught and found out by them, it would be disastrous for you and I can't have you risk that. Chelly can and does because she has nothing to lose, no secrets to be discovered. You have too much."

Ebony felt her anger diffuse. They couldn't risk her mark being found out, her Death Royalty being displayed, her father bring revealed as Sirius Black. None of it mattered to her, least not for her own sake…but for her father's. She couldn't risk Snape being found out as well. She couldn't risk them disclosing that he still goes to the Dark Lord, even if it is for the Order's benefit and his appointed duty, they would twist it into something horrible and he'd be sent to Azkaban. She couldn't do that to him…and she couldn't bring Sirius down with it. She had no choice now. She was bound to do nothing for the rest of the year when it came to Umbridge and had to let her walk over her.

She sank into her chair defeated.

"So she gets away with this?" Chelly asked.

"There's not much we can do," Snape told her. "Least nothing I, nor Ebony can do…of course, I have no control over your actions whatsoever…or would I know of anything either of you does in secret."

Ebony smiled and glanced at Chelly whose eyes were gleaming like she was just told Christmas was coming early this year. With permission to find her justice and take revenge on Umbridge, it pretty much was Christmas. And they both knew her boyfriend and his twin would want part in this utter promise of chaos.

**COMMON ROOM**

Ebony shook her head while watching the effects of her boyfriend's product take hold on certain students looking to get out of class as they tested them in the Gryffindor common room. Pomfrey was going to have a fit over this when her hospital wing was full of these kids with boils, nose bleeds, and excessive throat swelling. But she had to give the twins credit because it was impressive nonetheless and creative on their part to have come up with all these things. She couldn't imagine how they still had barely passed potions.

She drew her attention back to her friends that sat in front of her as Hermione and Ron joined Harry on the couch.

"I'm not saying write the whole thing," Ron was saying to Hermione.

"I'll do the introduction," she told him. "But that's all."

"Hermione, you're the most wonderful person I've ever met. If I'm ever mean to you again," he said with enough sincerity and sweetness in his eyes that Chelly raised her eyebrows at Ebony and nudged her with her elbow.

"I'll know you're back to normal," Hermione smiled back.

Ebony shrugged her shoulders.

"See you two managed to escape the dungeon," Ron said and sat down on one side of Harry who was still looking through one of his books.

"It's not all that hard when no one can see you," Ebony admitted.

"Yeah, _some_ things are easier to hide than others," Chelly said sand eyed Ron and Hermione causing Ebony to nudge her.

The words were lost on the two others as Hermione noticed Harry's hand. "Harry, what happened to your hand?"

"Nothing," he held his right one out to her but she grabbed the left, examining the scar.

"You've got to tell Dumbledore."

He yanked his hand away. "No, Dumbledore's got enough on his mind right now. Anyway, I don't want to give Umbridge the satisfaction."

"That's one way to think of it," Chelly snorted. "That mean bitch doesn't need to know it bothered us."

"Us?" Hermione questioned and glanced at Chelly's hand. "She did it to you too?"

"You heard her. She gave both of us detention yesterday. I have a similar one just different words…something tells me it won't be my last."

"Could it be your incapability to keep your mouth shut?" Ebony teased.

"Could be," she shrugged. "But yeah, it's worse than it looks, though getting them was no real treat."

"Bloody hell, Harry, the woman's torturing you," Ron said. "If the parents knew about this."

"Yeah, well I haven't got any of those, have I Ron?" Harry asked angrily.

"Harry…" Ebony tried to speak to him but he shot her a look that shut her mouth and she sat back in her chair and stared at the fire deciding it best not to upset him any further.

Hermione took a deep breath. "Harry, you've got to report this. It's perfectly simple."

Harry slammed his book shut. "No, it's not. Hermione, whatever this is, it's not simple. You don't understand."

"Some of us do," Ebony whispered but her eyes didn't leave the fire.

Harry had heard her. "How can you possibly understand any of this? How can you know what it's like to watch someone die? To know you're in some way responsible for what could be another war? How can you understand what it's like to be called a liar when you know the truth but no one believes you? How can you know what it feels like to have these dreams, these feelings? How can you know what it's like to feel so alone?...how can you get any of this?" He stood up and dropped his book on the table.

"Then help us too," she asked pleadingly as he walked away and out of the common room.

Chelly sighed. "That went well…"

"You both knew Umbridge did this and did nothing?" Hermione asked.

"And here we go," Chelly glanced at her watch. "That didn't take you too long, I think it's a new record on your nagging."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

"We couldn't say anything," Ebony decided to explain. "Least not me or Chelly. It wouldn't bode right , not when it's her say against ours and she has the Ministry behind her."

"But you're an Auror, Professor Snape's daughter," Hermione insisted.

"Exactly," Ebony nodded. "That's why I can't do anything. Do you know how bad that could turn for me or my father if the Ministry decided to take a closer look at anything I did or my dad did?"

Hermione nodded her head. "I see your point…I should go talk to him…"

"No," Chelly said as she made a move to get up. "Leave him be."

She huffed shaking her head, exasperated. "I don't understand you, Chelly. First you tell me that I don't stick up for Harry at all and now that I do you're telling me not to go after him."

"You need to know the difference between the right time and the wrong time. Now would be the wrong time. He's too upset…but I give you credit for trying," she told her and Hermione looked up with a frown. "You're starting to change…a little."

She smiled a bit at the once Ravenclaw but said nothing. Neither of them did. The point was made across whether Ebony and Ron got it or not. Ebony turned from the fire after a few minutes having decided to watch George from across the room. He met her eye contact and shifted his eyes up the stairs to the dorm rooms that were clearly empty given all the kids in the common room then back at her. He did it again then smiled wickedly as he met her eyes again, pulling up his pant leg a bit to reveal his shoe…and his barefoot, he wasn't wearing a sock.

Ebony laughed causing the other three to stare at her in bewilderment. She cleared her throat and stood up, adjusting her shirt. "I'll be back in a bit, don't leave without me Chells."

"Where are you going?" she asked her.

Ebony flashed her a sideways grin that said she was up to no good. "To help George look for his sock."

Chelly couldn't contain her laughter which caused the others to stare at her in utter perplexity. She could only shake her head, thinking it best not explain and damage such feeble minds or give Ron nightmares for the remainder of the night at the thought of his brother snogging Ebony.

**THRESTALS**

Luis sat with his back against the tree, legs stretched out in front of him as he flipped through his newest edition of Cosmo magazine. He looked up every now and then to make sure Luna hadn't gone wondering off on her own. The girl was impossible to find once she did. He didn't want her chasing Nargils or Lithbells again. Took him two hours and many excuses to Chelly on why her cousin's shoes were missing…like they were now. Only this time she'd left the castle with him barefoot. So it wasn't his fault…but apparently the Nargils.

He heard footsteps coming up the path and turned his head to see Harry come into the clearing, having followed the Threstals here. He watched him stare in wonder as he got to his feet, brushing off the back of his corduroys.

"Hey Harry," Luis greeted him as he continued staring around.

"What…?"

"Threstals," Luis told him at his loss for words. "This is where they roam when we're not using them to pull carriages. They're not violent, pretty easy going actually."

"You come out here often?"

He nodded and gestured at Luna with his folded up magazine. "To keep an eye on Luna Bird for Celly Bird."

"Celly Bird?"

"It's a nickname for them…they're related you know," he said and Harry nodded understanding as they approached Luna where she stood petting a Threstal. "But I like it out here, it's quiet for a change. No one to bug you or tease you or whisper about you…it's just quiet."

"Hello Harry Potter," she said in the dazed voice of hers that was her actual one.

"Your feet…," Harry said upon noticing they were bare. "Aren't they cold?"

"A bit…unfortunately all of my shoes have mysteriously disappeared. I suspect Nargils are behind it," she nodded her head.

Luis shook his, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Or maybe it's some of the other brats in your room."

"No…Nargills."

He gave up, there was no arguing with her over mythical creatures. Not when it came to her family. He knew them for years and they were all extravagant in their thinking and words. Chelly was the most normal of them all. And that wasn't saying a lot. But they were his friends nonetheless and he wouldn't change them if he could.

"What are they?" Harry asked Luna causing Luis to huff a bit.

"They're called Threstals. As Luis said, they're quite gentle really, but people avoid them because they're a bit…" she trailed off, looking at one of the approaching babies.

"Different," Harry finished in understanding.

Luis looked over at him. "Kind of reminds you of us, doesn't it?"

Harry nodded. "In a way…"

"You're avoided for what people think are your lies…I'm taunted because I'm gay…and Luna because she's well…Luna."

"At least we're seen…But why can't the other's see them," Harry asked as they forward a bit.

"They can only be seen by people who've seen death," Luna explained.

"So…you both've known someone who's died then?" Harry asked.

"My mum," Luna answered. "She was quite an extraordinary witch but she did like to experiment. One day one of her spells went badly wrong. I was nine."

"I was there. I usually spent time over at Luna's when my mum and dad were at work. It wasn't pretty…I was eleven."

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized.

"Yes, it was rather horrible. I do feel very sad about it sometimes, but I've got Dad and Chelly and Luis," Luna told him and reached into the purse she had hanging around to her side and took out an apple, rolling it to the baby creature who sniffed it in distaste, obviously wanting something a little bloodier. "Dad and I believe you by the way. That He Who Must Not Be Named is back and you fought him and the Ministry and the Prophet are conspiring against you and Dumbledore."

"That goes without saying I do," Luis shrugged his shoulders.

"Thanks, seems you're about the only ones that do," Harry sighed.

"I don't think that's true," said Luna.

"Why do you say that?"

"You have very faithful friends…even if you don't realize it. I really don't see Ron and Hermione walking away from you…certainly not Ebony…or my cousin, Chelly for that matter. She's committed…but I suppose that's how I'd want you to feel."

"What do you mean?"

"Well if I were You Know Who, I'd want you to feel cut off from everyone else. Because if it's just you alone, you're not as much of a threat."

Luis stared at her in wonder. "I'd swear you're Slytherin sometimes, Luna Bird…just as evil as your cousin can be."

Luna reached into her purse and drew out a piece of raw meat, throwing it to the baby Threstal. Harry's eyebrows rose at the thought she carried raw meat in her purse. He looked at Luis who shrugged. "It's Luna…you get used to it."

Harry briefly wondered if he could ever get used to the quirky girl carrying meat in her purse while walking around barefoot in the woods. He had to admit, as weird as she was, she was right about his friends.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: These chapters come out fast because all these fanfics are completed (which is why I'm rewriting a few of them to end differently in AU's). So I hope you enjoy them_

_Disclaimer: I still only own Ebony, Chelly, and Luis…siiigghhh_

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**BREAKFAST BLUNDERS**

Ebony munched on her cereal, George sitting right next to her, occasionally nudging her leg with his foot and grinning sideways at her, having spent better part of the night in his dorm to Chelly's discomfort of having to wait for her since all her potion was gone. Chelly sat on her other side, once again taking advantage of the variety of food. She was on her second plate now having already demolished her waffles, bacon and eggs and was now working on her funnel cake as if she hadn't eaten in days. Oliver continued to read his Quibbler next to her. He had stopped reading the Daily Prophet months ago when Harry started making front page news on being the boy who lied. He didn't believe a word of it and it only seemed to succeed in pissing him off so he canceled his subscription and started up with the Quibbler getting a nice discount since Chelly's Uncle published it.

He took another bite from his toast and slid the plate over, not even having to look over at his girlfriend to know she was eyeing the last buttered piece. With a smile and quick peck to his cheek she finished it in two bites.

Hermione shook her head in wonder at her appetite and in disgust as Ron was chowing down a piece of sausage. "Honestly, do you two ever stop?"

"What?" Ron asked, mouth full. "I'm 'ungry."

"I can see that," she nodded and gestured at his plate still full of food as he showed no signs of slowing down.

"She's had an appetite like that forever," Luis shrugged, having decided to sit with them today, Luna next to him, happily distracted by her pudding. It was the only thing he ever saw her eat by the barrel. "Her brother Adam is the same way." He himself was full after two pancakes and a couple pieces of toast.

Chelly eyed his plate and the extra bacon on it. "You gonna eat that?"

He sighed and pushed it to her where she snapped it up before Ron could, losing once again to her. The red headed boy glared, going back to his eggs.

"You'll never win in a fight for food, Ron," Luis said and was entirely surprised he wasn't uncomfortable from sitting next to him. Maybe it was the food that was taking his mind from his homophobia. Or he'd just gotten used to Luis being around. "She'll take your arm with her if she has to. I've seen some pretty scary wounds come out of fights over small things like ice cream."

"Ice cream is a serious manner," Chelly paused long enough from eating to say.

"Yeah, it can also cause serious injuries. You put your brother in a coma just about. They had to use an Ennervate spell to wake him up."

She shrugged. "I told him not to touch the last cupcake."

"Do you ever stop eating?" Hermione asked her.

"Do you ever stop nagging?" she rolled her eyes. "I'm hungry."

"You can't be that hungry," Hermione said, no one noticing the person walking up the aisle directly behind them towards the staff table.

"Hey, when the twins are hungry, I feed them," she smiled and patted her belly. Ebony smiled at the sight of everyone's faces, apparently they didn't know the joke and she was doomingly aware of a presence having frozen on the spot directly behind them and by the petrified look on Luis's face she knew who it was yet silently hoped for Oliver's health it was Voldermort. At least his death would be over quickly and he wouldn't feel it. She closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, it was just too perfect. Turning her head slightly, she saw her father directly behind her and Chelly, staring first at Chelly who had a piece of bacon part way in her mouth, frozen in wide eyed fright. Then to Oliver who looked as if he were about to be beheaded…which wasn't too far off from the truth. George looked sympathetic bit certainly glad it wasn't him though his hand did move off her thigh.

Ebony opened her mouth to tell him it was a joke, that Chelly was only kidding but all that came out was half a laugh and , "Uh oh…" She had to see them get out of this one.

"Ms. Murillo, for your own sake and especially Mr. Woods future, tell me I misheard you," he said and his tone was anything but pleased.

"I don't remember what I said, "Chelly mumbled, still holding the piece of bacon as Oliver's yes shifted from her to Snape then back to her continuously in hope she could dig him out of the hole she put him in.

"She eats a lot when the twins are hungry," Luna said in her same distantly pleasant tone with a small dazed smile. "She always uses that excuse."

Chelly shot a glare at her cousin as Luis's eyes widened from his seat next to her, hands clenching. "Urge…to kill…Oliver…rising."

"Not before I do, Mr. Lagunas," Snape spoke through gritted teeth and put one hand on Oliver's shoulder as Luis seemed to remember Snape was there and shut up, becoming intensely interested in a crack in the table to avoid any further contact with the Potions Master. Judging by the yelp Oliver gave at Snape's hand tightening on his shoulder, he wished he could disappear through that crack.

"Dad, it's just a joke," Ebony told him since she felt if Oliver was to pale anymore than he had he'd faint from blood loss.

Snape turned his head to her. "A joke?"

"Yes, Chelly uses it as an excuse to eat all the time. She's not pregnant," Ebony kicked Chelly's shoe under the table, knocking her from her frightened dazed state.

"I'm not pregnant. I'll take a test if you want me to. I was just kidding, you know. Funny, ha ha. A joke. Those things you don't use very often but that I do all the time to your utter disapproval that causes you to shake your head at me."

Snape rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Kinda like you're doing now," she said with a snap of her fingers.

"For Mr. Woods sake, it bests be true," he released his grip on Oliver's shoulder. "And try to refrain from such jokes in the future, it does nothing good for his health either." Snape turned from the table continuing on to the staff one.

Once out of sight did Oliver let out the breath he'd been holding and rest his forehead on the table. "I thought I was about to die."

Chelly rubbed the back of his neck. "So did I…" she chuckled. "But it was funny."

"You weren't seeing your life flash before your eyes," he defended himself, lifting his head up from the table.

"Oh, my poor baby," she said and moved him to her, cradling his head to her chest.

George glanced at Ebony and pouted. "I was scared too…saw my life flash before my eyes."

"Did you realize you needed a life?" she teased.

"No, but I could use a cuddle," he said and put his head on her shoulder.

She shoved him off with a chuckle. "Get off of me."

"That's not what you said last night," George snickered as Ron choked on a piece toast and Fred scrunched his face pushing his plate away having lost his appetite.

Luis patted Ron on the back. "Oh, please, you think that sounds bad, I could tell you worse things not intended for the table."

Ron shook his head looking pale. "Please don't."

"Your father scares me," Oliver said, having moved away from Chelly's chest, but she continued to rub the back of his neck.

"He's always in such a bad mood," Luis said and resisted any urge to glance near the staff table for fear Snape had heard him.

"Only in public really," Ebony shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah…he's only like that 98 of the time," Chelly nodded.

Ebony glared at her over her cup. "My Dad is a nice guy…" they all stared blankly at her, including George who rubbed his ear out of memory. "What? He is!"

"Professor Snape is always in a demeaning mood," Oliver muttered. "He doesn't like anyone."

"He likes Chelly and me."

"That's it," Oliver snorted.

Luis pursued his lips with a nod coming to his final evaluation. "You're dad needs to get laid."

Ebony choked on her drink and started coughing as Chelly started laughing hysterically, leaning on Oliver who had a horrified look on his face at the mere thought. George draped his arm around his choking girlfriend as she tried to gag through the words and thought, her brain shutting down for fear of what any image could due to her sanity.

"Never…," she coughed. "_Ever _say anything like that again…or I'll knock you back into next week."

"You don't scare me," he smiled.

"I'll tell my father," she threatened and the smile fell from his lips.

"You win…"

Harry approached the table then and they all froze in mid conversations or, in Chelly and Ron's case, mid bite.

"Harry," Hermione said with a tentative smile.

"Can I join you?" he asked unsure.

Hermione was about to scoot over when they all heard a voice by the staircase in front of the Great Hall. "What are you assuming?"

Chelly rolled her eyes and dropped her fork down, her appetite lost from the shrilly cheerful voice she recognized. She stood up from the table, following the others to investigate and holding Oliver's hand in hers for his own comfort as he still tried to come down the effects of Snape nearly killing him. "What is the pink bitch bitching about now?"

"One can only imagine," Ebony muttered, following behind George while he dragged her along by her hand.

"Maybe she found the Canary Creams?" Fred whispered.

"Nah, she doesn't look like a bird," George shook his head.

"Coulda fooled me," Ron snorted as they all crowded around.

"I'm merely requesting," McGonagall said as she climbed the stairs with Umbridge. "That when it comes to my students you conform to the prescribed disciplinary practices."

"So silly of me," Umbridge said cheerfully, adjusting her pink sweater. "But it sounds like you're questioning my authority in my own classroom, Minerva."

"Not at all, Dolores," she said heatedly. "Merely your medieval methods."

Chelly clenched her scarred hand at the memory and noticed Harry rub the back of his. She put a hand on his shoulder so he knew he wasn't alone in this. He gave her a small smile in appreciation.

"I am sorry, dear," Umbridge said in a gaspy voice. "But to question my practices is to question the Ministry and by extension the Minister himself. I am a tolerant woman but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty."

McGonagall looked as if she'd been slapped, her expression filled with such shock that it shook in her voice. "Disloyalty?"

Umbridge took a step up and addressed everyone as she spoke. "Things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared. Cornelius will want to take immediate action."

Chelly glanced at Ebony then at the rest of their friends.

"Uh oh," Ebony, George, Fred, Chelly, Luis and Oliver all said at the same time. Normally it'd have been a comical moment…but all humor seemed to have died with Umbridge's words and the storm clouds seemed to be rolling in.

**IT BEGINS**

"The woman is stark raving mad," Chelly glowered, sitting next to Oliver on the bench outside, George and Ebony across from them. She had her CD player playing music with a speaker set out. She laid her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "I mean, a no affection rule. You need to be eight inches apart from the opposite sex at all times. Total bullshit."

"I bet Luis is okay with it," George teased.

Chelly snickered. "He's not complaining…yet. Give her time to come up with a new rule to piss him off besides the no music one."

"She'll come up with more ridiculous new rules sooner or later," Ebony nodded as George draped his arm around her shoulders, scooting her closer to him.

"Like the 'can't help a person find their socks' rule?"

She snickered and shook her head. "Don't push it, she's already banned your products."

"I know," he sighed. "But it doesn't seem to stop me."

"Nothing ever does," she snorted.

"These rules are just full of crap," Chelly shook her head. "Uniforms need to be worn correctly to the point you're strangled by your tie."

George put his finger through his, loosening it around his neck. "Tell me about it. Least you lot don't have to wear them."

"One of the few perks about not being a student anymore," Oliver smiled.

"No music," Chelly continued. "What the hell is that about? It's in our rooms."

"I'm not really surprised anymore. She's asking for a rebellion," Ebony sighed and leaned into George.

"But you can't risk getting into trouble," Chelly reminded her.

She grinned, eyes twinkling as only a Slytherin's could when they had their most cunning of evil ideas. "Dad said as long as I don't get into any serious trouble."

"And you've yet to be caught," Chelly nodded, head still on Oliver's shoulder. "Least we can say that much."

"I've yet to do anything really," she shrugged. "I don't really think sneaking into George's room counts as much."

"If your Dad caught you it would," George snorted. "It would cost my life. If he caught _either_ of you it would cost Oliver and me our lives."

Chelly shrugged her indifference. "I'd live."

"She's right," Ebony agreed sarcastically. "I'd mourn for you, but it's a small price to pay."

George gapped at her as Oliver did the same to Chelly, staring at her with wide eyes. "He's nearly killed me twice!"

"You're such a drama queen," Chelly shook her head. "Luckily, I love your over dramatic side." She tilted her head and kissed him.

George tapped Ebony's shoulder. "What about me?"

"What about you?"

"I see how it is," he sniffled and turned away from her. Ebony grabbed his shoulder to keep him from moving and losing her spot against him.

"Come here, you," she smiled and kissed him in return.

None of them saw the devil in pink coming straight at them until she cleared her throat and flicked her wand at Chelly's CD player causing the speaker to blow out. Chelly jerked out of the kiss from Oliver and stared in shock at her busted music equipment. "Hey! That's my CD player!"

"You know the rules," she shrugged modestly.

"You could have just asked me to turn it off," she mumbled and picked up the two pieces that was now her speaker.

"The proper actions must be taken on the four of you. You've broken four of the rules," Umbridge said with the same peachy smile she seemed to always wear.

"Four?" George questioned. Yes, they were closer than eight inches and had been kissing and yes, they were listening to music. But four?

Umbridge flicked her wand and George's tie tightened around his neck. He gasped and let out a cough, loosening it a little. "Yes, four. That's four too many and you all should know better as T.A.'s and a seventh year. Detention. My classroom at, shall we say, five," Umbridge said with a smile and giggle before she walked off.

Chelly felt the blood drain from her face. "Oh good…another scar."

"Looks like you and Harry won't be alone in sporting the new look," George mumbled after he was able to breathe from being strangled by his own tie.

She laid her forehead on the table. "This is going to suck."

"Does it hurt a lot?" Oliver asked her.

"I repeat, this is going to suck a lot," she mumbled into the table.

Ebony glanced at her watch. "And it's three right now."

Chelly whimpered and shook her head. "I don't know what I'm dreading more, detention or facing your dad later?"

"Least he's not your father," she mumbled.

"He certainly acts like it."

George laughed at her and Chelly sent him a death glare. "You really think Umbridge isn't going to tell him _what _rules we were breaking, Georgie?"

His laughter died at the words and he touched his ear in memory of being dragged down the hall by it. Next to Chelly, Oliver had paled as well. This was going to be bad. Ebony stood up and grabbed George's arm. "Come on, we're already in trouble, might as well make the best of it."

"How can you make the best of this? Your dad is going to maim me and kill Oliver."

"Oi, why do I have to be killed?" Oliver asked.

"Because I'm better looking and there wasn't a joke made involving twins on my behalf," George informed him with a shrug.

"The way I see it is, we're already busted and getting detention," she smiled at him, pulling him closer by his tie. "Might as well use it. I was thinking you might be missing a sock again or something?"

George raised his eyebrows and grinned. "I'm willing to face your father's wrath for that."

"He might rip your ear off this time, Georgie," Chelly warned him.

"It'd be well worth it."

Ebony dragged him along with her and smiled over at Chelly. "See you at five."

"Yeah, I'll meet you in the powder puff version of hell," Chelly waved her off and turned back to Oliver who had a mischievous grin of his own. "What?"

He shrugged. "I was just thinking that Ebony had a point," he scooted her closer. "I mean, we _are _already in trouble…and Professor Snape will probably kill me later…so I was thinking sine we have two hours to kill we should go find your earring."

"But I have my earr-." She paused and smiled, getting the joke. "It didn't go so well last time we searched for my earring."

"I'm willing to risk it," he said and stood up, helping her to her feet.

Chelly gave a look of sorrow to her broken CD player. "I hate that bitch…I'm gonna smash every kitty plate she has."

Oliver frowned. "Kitty plate?"

She shook her head and dragged him along. "You don't want to know."

It was bad enough her friends would soon be finding out the joys of detention and being permanently marked for life.

**LATER ON**

Chelly sat at the desk, staring at the parchment in front of her. All happiness she had seemed to melt away at the sight of that paper and knowing that the evil quill from hell wasn't too far behind it making its appearance to erase the skin from the back of her other hand. Then not too far behind this was going back to her room and having to face Professor Snape since she highly doubted there would be any chance of sneaking past him.

"Very good," Umbridge smiled. "You are all here. Now I hope you do understand why this needs to be done…right, Ms. Murillo?"

Chelly bit her lip to keep from saying anything disrespectful. She already had that reminder on the back of her hand and didn't need it to be retaught. She spoke through gritted teeth, hands balled into fists under the desk. "Because we deserve to be punished."

"Very good," and the pink woman actually patted her on the head before lying a quill down in front of her and Ebony and then moving across the way to give one to George and Oliver. "You broke the rules, quite a few of them and this is the very least you will have to do to repent for what you have done. Your families have also been informed of your disorderly conduct as I'm sure they will have much to say to you on the manner. In your case, Ms. Murillo I have informed both your parents and Professor Snape, seeing it more prudent that way."

Chelly glared, her fists tightening more but kept her mouth shut. No need to go losing more skin that way.

"You will all write 'I must not show public displays of affection'," Umbridge said with a cheeky grin.

Chelly spun in her chair to look at the lady. "That's long though."

"I found it to be quite short considering the number of rules you broke…but I could always adjust it."

"No, this is fine. Thank you for being considerate," Ebony spoke before Chelly could further dig them into a hole.

Umbridge seemed to take her apology and walked to the front of her class. "You may leave once the message has sunk in. There will be no talking. Begin…"

The bitch actually smiled as she watched them, waiting for their reactions. Ebony was first to pick up the quill and write the line. She gave a slight grimace as the line started forming in the back of her right hand, but kept writing. She showed no other pain besides that, just bit the inside of her cheek to stop any cries that would have escaped her.

Chelly took a deep breath and picked up the quill, knowing it wasn't the first time she had held it and probably, knowing her attitude, wouldn't be the last. She wrote the line, trying to make the writing neat this time since she'd have it permanently and waited for the pain. And it came tearing through her flesh in red lines welling with blood before fading back and leaving only a pale pink mark where it had been right under her other mark. She glared up at Umbridge as she continued to write, wishing looks could kill and finding the Unforgiveable Curses not so unforgiveable at the moment.

George had decided to get it over with as well and wrote his line out. He let out a hiss as it etched into the back of his right hand and dropped his quill for a moment to look. The words formed in his writing then faded back into his skin. He picked up the quill and wrote again, grimacing against it, not letting the pink wench get the best of him, never a Weasley. Well, maybe Percy, since he was a brown noser for the Ministry anyway, but never the rest of them.

Oliver let out a sigh and wrote his line out watching it form on paper before feeling the sting on the back of his left hand. He winced at it, having been used to pain with all the bludgers he'd taken over the years and all the near fatal falls from being knocked off his broom. It wasn't so bad, but after feeling it six or seven times it began to throb and hurt.

Yet none of them showed the pain besides for the occasional hiss that was heard. It took an hour before they were done and over fifty times of writing them to have it sink in. George's had been done first and Umbridge inspected his hand. Satisfied she smiled and sent him on his way. Right after he was done, Ebony's had sunk in. She grasped the girl's hand in hers and smiled.

"There now, that wasn't so bad was it? Be on your way, Ebony. I'm sure your father is waiting to speak to you," she gave a giggle and Ebony wanted to punch the pink bitch in the face, but gave a slight nod and left the room, waiting for Chelly outside.

Oliver's was done next and after a nod at his hand he left the room, fully instructed to go back to his corridors and not wait for Ms. Murillo or suffer more lines for it. Chelly set the quill down, slamming it on the table harder than she needed to, hoping to snap the damn thing in half. Umbridge cleared her throat and Chelly held her left hand out. The woman traced the old scars with a pink fingernail and gave a tisking noise.

"I had hoped you learned your lesson," she sighed.

"I did…I wasn't disrespectful," Chelly said. "This time I was demonstrating public affection."

"Well, I hope you learned your lesson."

Chelly nodded and picked up her purse. "I sure did for this one, but there's a lot more rules on that wall," she stood up and gave a wave with her good hand. "See you next time, Umbridge, with whatever rule it is I break and need lines for. I'm sure they'll eventually all sink in."

She slammed the door on her way out and glanced at Ebony who was waiting for her, rubbing ointment George must have left for her onto the back of her hand. "Stupid bitch," Chelly grumbled and the two made their way to the staircase that led to the dungeons, dreading to enter the room at the end of the hall.

They both stared at the door, more afraid of what was behind it then the detention they just received. Chelly nudged Ebony forward. "You first."

"Why me?"

"He's your Dad."

"He likes you better."

"He's less likely to kill you."

"He can't legally hit you."

"He adopted you out of love and compassion."

"He's your friend."

"You're older!"

Ebony rolled her eyes. "Low blow…" she put her hand on the door where it glowed. Before either of them could touch the knob the door flew open and Snape stood there. He grabbed them both by their shoulders and dragged them inside with a rough shove before slamming the door. Chelly caught her balance on the dining room table and turned around backing up behind Ebony a bit.

Snape looked upset and that was an understatement. The look in his eyes alone made her avert hers but glance up every now and then. Ebony met his dark eyes dead on, how she could do it without wanting to crawl under the table, Chelly had no idea.

"I thought I was perfectly clear when I said stay out of Professor Umbridge's way and give her _no _reason to even think of you," he said calmly but the malice carried in his tone was enough to make Chelly wince. "But, instead, I get called into her office with the news that the two of you broke not one, not two, but _four _rules. And half of them involved the Weasley boy and Mr. Wood."

"I admit we broke the affection rule," Ebony said with a shrug. "But."

"No," he cut her off angrily. "You don't get to speak. Neither of you do, you've spoken enough. Do you even begin to understand the situation that puts you in, that puts me in? You are both to be role models for other students, not rule breakers. Especially those set by the Ministry. To be seen kissing with your boyfriends is not proper conduct, nor is speaking back to the Professor or any other Professor," he eyed Chelly who somehow managed to hold his gaze. "Or listening to music when you were told not to."

"It won't happen again," Ebony said mildly but her temper was beginning to rise.

"You're right it won't," Snape seethed. "From today until the end of the school year neither of you are to be alone with Mr. Weasley or Mr. Wood. You may see them during meal times but that is all."

Chelly let out a gasp. "That's not fair."

"What isn't fair is you not abiding by the rules," he said. "And furthermore, Ms. Murillo, you are to start your potions class tomorrow and you will no longer be assisting Minerva in her Transfiguration class. When you are not earning your credit in my class you will be assisting in my class and when you are not assisting in my class, you will be somewhere public with other students and not with Mr. Wood at all."

"But-."

"Would you like me to make it so you _never_ see him over the year? It will not be that difficult to see him terminated from his position here."

Chelly shut her mouth but felt her anger fume. She refused to be the cause of Oliver getting fired. It was bad enough she wouldn't be able to see him except for meal times now, but to have him completely gone for the remainder of the year…that would be worse.

Snape took her silence for an answer. "Go to your room," he addressed Chelly. "I'm sure you will be getting a letter from your mother in the morning."

Chelly turned without a word and slammed her bedroom door behind her. Ebony was about to follow to her own room, but her father stopped her. "I didn't send you to your room. I want a word with you."

She turned around with a sigh. "Yes?"

"What were you thinking?" he asked. "What were you doing, out in the quad, no less with that boy? Do you know what you are doing?"

"I was sitting with my friends. I didn't know it would cause such a huge problem."

"But you knew it was breaking the rules."

She shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to start a fight.

"Don't shrug this off, Ebony."

"I don't understand why this is such a big deal. These are stupid rules."

"But rules you must obey nonetheless."

"I don't see the point in it when these rules are a joke," she argued, her temper getting the best of her. "I've already agreed to not see George unless its meal time, what more do you want from me?"

"I want you to listen to me," he said.

"I do!" she shouted. "I do everything you say no matter how much I don't want too. I studied hard, I graduated early, I work here, I've followed everything you've said and done and more. I visit the Malfoy's during summer no matter how badly I can't stand them because you tell me too. I don't see Uncle Remus that much because you don't like him. I don't see my friends half as much as I'd like because you don't like them either. I lie to everyone everyday about who I am and what I am with a concealing mark on my wrist. I don't see Sirius hardly because I know how bitter it makes you. And worst of all, I turn my head away every time you disappear to go back to _him_ because you have to even though I hate the thought of it. So what more do you want? What more do you want me to give up?"

"I just want you to listen," he said calmly. "I'm trying to protect you, not make you a prisoner."

"Stop trying to protect me," she pleaded. "I'm not a little girl anymore."

"I know…just please be careful with Umbridge."

"Why?" she exclaimed. "I don't understand," she ran her fingers through her hair and winced as the strands moved over the cuts.

"Let me see," he held his hand out.

Ebony hesitated for a moment…an idea clouding her mind. If her father wouldn't tell her…she'd find out herself. She held her hand out, putting it in his but casting the diamonds to glow red, speaking the word before he could realize what she was doing and block her. "_Legilimens_."

Ebony gasped as her mind flew through his and she found herself standing outside Hogwarts during the afternoon. A young looking Snape walking past her. It fast forwarded to see him being strung up by his ankle in mid air, James Potter cackling as he twirled his wand, taunting Severus. Ebony saw her father, Sirius, right behind him laughing harder than the rest only Remus looking ashamed. She felt a pang of sympathy and a rage of anger and flung her arm to hit James but went through him, landing on the ground.

"Stop it!" she heard another voice yell and turned to see a pretty red headed girl run up, face flushed with anger. "Put him down, Potter."

"Whatever, Evans," with a smirk he let Snape drop to the floor.

Ebony's eyes widened, Lily Evans. Harry's mother, was kneeling next to her father on the ground. Before she could see anymore it spun to another memory. And she was back at Grimmauld place. She saw herself go up the stairs with Remus while Severus stayed with Dumbledore.

"That is a very brave thing you did, Severus," Dumbledore said. "Volunteering to take her, the daughter of your enemy into your home and raise her as your own. I am seeing a change in you more and more."

"I just…" he took a deep breath and Ebony saw the hurt him. "I just felt it was the right thing to do."

"Because of Lily Potter's death." This was right after the Potter's were killed and her father went to Azkaban. She was upstairs packing with her Uncle at the time. She'd never heard him say this.

He shook his head but stopped. "Yes and no…I just know what it's like to lose someone and have nothing left."

"So you take her out of remorse and guilt?"

"No," he turned to the staircase where a younger Ebony reappeared coming down it holding her Uncle's hand. Younger Ebony looked up to smile at Severus and she realized then that this was the turning point in her life. The day it all started over and she became someone else, Ebony Snape. She watched Severus smile at the little girl and saw the purity in it, the look only a parent could have for someone they swore to love and protect for life. It was the same feeling had for Harry, for Sirius, for Snape. "I take her out of love because I have no one else to put it into and…I'm tired of hate, I have enough of it…I feel her and I need each other, that this can work. That I can be her father."

Ebony's eyes widened slightly as she felt guilt for the harsh words she had said. The memory spun out and she found herself in a bright pink office with a bunch of meowing kitty plates on the wall. She felt suddenly nauseous. Not by the change of memory, but by the office. Her father was standing, clashing immensely with the bright pink office in his black.

"I understand what she has done," she heard him say.

"It's not very fitting for the young lady to be seen like that," Umbridge said from behind her desk. "Especially with a boy such as George Weasley."

"He's not all that bad, a bit annoying, but overall decent," Snape defended him causing Ebony to blink a few times. He hated Weasley yet he was sticking up for him.

"Their behavior was not decent."

"I agree, I'll see that she is spoken to about it."

"I would, Severus, I'd hate to see her lose her job here."

"Not necessary," he said and she could sense his anger.

"I'd hope your termination wouldn't be either," she smiled cheekily and Ebony gaped. She was threatening her father. "I'd hate to have to look into your records and publicly display your past alliances. It may not bode well with the Ministry reformation. Nor would your daughters if we were to dig deep enough."

"I'll speak to her and see it doesn't happen again," he said coolly though his eyes were anything but polite. It was the same darkness she had seen in them minutes ago when he talked to her. But he wasn't angry or scared about his past, it was hers. He was trying to protect hers and damn his own.

Ebony felt ripped from the memory and all went black. She stumbled and fell to the floor in their chambers, looking up at her father who stared at her not knowing what to say, not knowing if he was upset or not.

"She threatened you," Ebony spoke to the silence. "And you're worried about protecting me."

"You shouldn't have done that, you had no right," he said angrily and stared into the fire.

"You're worried about protecting me when she can display your past alliances to the world," she repeated. She shook her head, understanding now. He was doing it to protect her, setting the rules for her and forbidding her not to save himself but to save her past from being disclosed. All because he loved her, because he was her father.

Ebony stood to her feet and was vaguely aware of her hand bleeding from the words reopening due to the fall. Snape grabbed her hand and dragged her over to the seats by the fire, not saying a word as he cleaned the wound.

"I understand," she said softly. "I'll obey the rules…and not get caught if I do anything on Dumbledore's orders."

"I'd rather you not do anything at all," he said finally as he did his best to heal the back of her hand but the scarring would remain no matter what.

"And you know why I have too…the same reason you do…"

He let out a sigh. "I know."

"I'm sorry…" she said and stood up when he was done. "I'm going to bed…I'll see you tomorrow, Dad."

He nodded his head and stared into the fire. She wanted to say more, to sit with him…but she felt she had done enough by invading his memories and he needed time alone, especially from her.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Not much to say but enjoy. If you have any questions or if there's any confusion feel free to ask._

_Disclaimer: I only own Ebony, Chelly, and Luis…sadly not Cedric or Olive…but I'd swear my old high school principal was Umbridge_

_Rock Royalty: Thank you soooo much for the review. It made my day. I actually already have all the fanfics written out for all the books and I'm currently working on an AU for Goblet of Fire. So Half Blood Prince will be posted as soon as Order of the Phoenix is through. I followed it by the book (which wa not an easy task) and we'll see how I did compared to the movie in fall. Until then, enjoy this next chapter._

**POTIONS MAKE UP**

Chelly added a few more ingredients to her potion, stirring it with her good hand and praying to God and Merlin that it came out right. She needed to pass this class. After last night's feud she wasn't sure if she would. She had a sneaky suspicion he'd be even harder on her for it.

"How's yours coming?" Luis asked her, stirring his idly while she was panicking.

"Could be better," she shrugged and ran her finger down the page making sure she had used everything. And she had, adding a little extra here and there, wouldn't hurt.

Luis eyed the bandage on her hand. "You get detention again?"

"Yup," she said popping the p at the end of it.

He held up his left hand so she could see the identical bandage on the back of his. "Got detention yesterday too."

"For what?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Being too close to the same sex," he snorted with a shake of his head. "I swear she has nothing better to do with her time."

"That's not one of the rules. I would know. I have a collection going."

"Now it is. Rule number 98 or whatever directed towards homosexual students. She's taking the fun out of this place."

"Tell me about it," she mumbled.

Chelly stared at her cauldron before comparing it to the contents in Luis's. His was a heavy green, smooth and pristine. Hers, on the other hand, was a bubbling boiling orange…and she had a feeling it shouldn't be even though she tried a different potion than Luis had. She had tried a hiccupping potion that was supposed to be a baby blue in color…orange was nowhere near baby blue. She chewed her lower lip and went over the ingredients again, not fully understanding where she went wrong.

Luis glanced over into her cauldron and frowned. "What is that supposed to be?"

"A hiccupping potion," she groaned and shook her head.

"Isn't it supposed to be blue?"

"Yes," she mocked crying and put her head in her hands.

"Sucks to be you," Luis snickered and she glared at him. "I love when you glare, make your Asian eyes more slanty."

She growled at him as he pulled out a book to read, waiting for Snape to come around and grade his potion. She needed to pass this class. Why she didn't stick to her confusion potion, she didn't know. She thought this would be easy…but it was potions…and she sucked at potions. She eyed Luis for a moment as he read his book, unaware of her plotting. It wouldn't hurt him…not really. And it was a last resort.

Chelly reached into her purse and drew out one of her vials. She may not be good at doing any potions, but the one she did know was the confusion potion. With a quick glance at Snape's turned back she spilled a few drops on Luis.

He felt the wetness on his shoulder and turned to see what it was, inhaling the potion. He blinked a few times in confusion and rubbed at his eyes. Chelly switched Luis's cauldron with hers. Not like he couldn't afford to get one bad grade. He passed everything. She on the other hand, needed this A. She'd treat him to Hogsmeade later to make up for it.

Snape paused in front of their desk, frowning at Luis who was still blinking and rubbing at his eyes, seemingly lost and Chelly beamed up at him with a bright smile. He eyed the bubbling orange mix in Luis's pot and the smooth green one in Chelly's and could only venture to guess what the girl had done. Judging by Lagunas…confused state of mind, he only needed one guess.

"Ms. Murillo, for once it looks like you haven't blown up your own cauldron."

She shrugged. "What can I say? I'm good at what I do."

"I see," he folded his arms. "Very well, why don't you test your mixture for me."

She paled a bit. "Huh?"

"Go ahead, test it," he said.

She gulped and looked into the pot at the green mixture before taking the spoon and dipping it in. She held it up, staring at it, having no idea what Luis had concocted. It could very well give her a tail or turn her into a mouse. She looked up at him.

"I'm waiting, Ms. Murillo," he said.

Luis blinked again and rubbed his eyes again as his vision adjusted. He became aware of Snape standing next to him, attention on Chelly. He then noticed his cauldron didn't have his potion in it but Chelly's botched Hiccup one. Which meant she switched him when he was confused by her other potion. He turned to see her sip the green potion from the spoon and his eyes widened. He was about to say something when Snape's hand landed on his shoulder and he squealed looking up at the Potions Master who raised his eyebrows telling him to stay silent. Not that he could speak given he was terrified where he sat.

Chelly sipped it down and waited but it didn't taste all that bad, kind of fruity. She smiled at Snape. "See, it wasn't…" she paused as a wave of dizziness struck her and her vision blurred as the world spun. She could see three Ebony's watching her next to Snape which there were four of and about two…maybe three Luis's. She shook her head but the dizziness stayed and she felt it clouding her mind. "Shit," she mumbled and fell over in her seat to the floor.

Luis leaned over to look at her as she snored, curled on the ground. Snape patted his shoulder causing him to jump. "Draught of the Living Dead as I suspected, Mr. Lagunas. Difficult to master but you seemed to do it well…only someone who didn't know better would try it out. Ten points to Ravenclaw."

Ebony patted him on the shoulder as her father stepped away to move onto the next group. "Not bad, Luis. You impressed him."

"Only out of fear," he said.

"It worked," she glanced at Chelly. "Not so much for her…why don't you mix up a Draught of Peace one so we can wake her up?"

He nodded his head and pulled out another cauldron. "I can do that."

"Take your time," Ebony chuckled. "She's definitely not going anywhere."

Luckily Luis had it brewed and Chelly awake before the end of class. Now she sat next to Ebony grumbling away as she checked over parchments, grading quizzes. Ebony tried her hardest not to laugh at her, Harry glancing over at her every now and then, wondering what was so funny. She shook her head and mouthed 'later' to him.

"Tell him and I'll...I'll…" Chelly threatened.

"You'll what? Use a hiccupping potion on me," she snorted with a giggle.

Chelly tried to glare but was broken by a smile. "Bitch…"

"Speaking of," Ebony glanced up and Chelly looked to see Umbridge enter the room to their discontent and Snape's as well.

"I'm just here to observe," she smiled.

"Observe my foot kicking your ass," Chelly mumbled and went back to grading.

"I do have a few questions for you, Professor," Umbridge said holding her clip board.

"Splendid," he mumbled. He didn't like being spot lighted in his classroom or under minded by her especially.

"You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, is that correct?" she asked as he stared ahead, probably afraid he'd kill her on the spot, Ebony guessed.

"Yes…"

She pouted a bit. "But you were unsuccessful?"

He waited a moment before answering and Ebony could almost see his eye twitch as Ron muffled a laugh. "Obviously…"

She smiled, pleased with the answers and way the room was running. "That is all. Carry on," she turned and left the room, Snape watching her go. Without even turning his eyes away from the door he lifted his hand that held his folder and smacked Ron across the back of his head, shutting him up. This causing Chelly and Ebony to snort in laughter.

**TRELAWNY**

"Luis!" Chelly yelled for the Ravenclaw, spotting him walking down the hall. She gestured him over to walk with the rest of the group and once close enough hit his arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" he asked and rubbed at the spot as Luna fell into step besides him.

"For not warning me about what in your cauldron," she glared.

"I would have had I known you were going to slip a potion on me and switch cauldrons but I was a little confused at the moment," Luis countered.

"I'll try to make it more permanent next time," she told him.

"You know, I didn't have to make the Draught of Peace to wake you up. I could have left your sleeping booty back there."

Before Chelly could argue any further and before Harry or the others could ask any questions as to what happened they were bombarded by a rush of students.

"What's going on?" Chelly asked to no one in particular at the bunch of students that were hurrying out to the front of the school, just outside the doors to the Great Hall.

"It's Professor Trelawny," she heard Cho answer.

Ebony glanced at her friends as they rushed over, George seizing the opportunity to be at her side since it was technically out in public and he hadn't seen her since breakfast. Before Chelly could look around, Oliver had pushed his way through to stand next to her.

They got to a spot to see Trelawny standing in the middle of the open area as Filch set her bags down on the ground with a smirk having become Umbridge's puppet over the last couple months. Trelawny seemed completely unraveled as she uttered only sounds, sitting on one of her suitcases. Umbridge came out the double doors, head held high and a smile on her face while approaching the disheveled professor.

"Sixteen years," Trelawny said near tears. "Sixteen years I've lived and taught. Hogwart's is my home. You can't do this."

"Actually I can," Umbridge smiled, holding up a set of papers.

"Oh my God," Luis mumbled next to Chelly who looked like she was ready to explode any minute.

"This is going too far," Chelly said through gritted teeth.

McGonagall hurried over to Trelawny putting her hands on the woman's shoulders to comfort the poor professor.

"Something you'd like to say dear," Umbridge asked McGonagall.

"Oh there are several things I'd like to say," McGonagall seethed, comforting Trelawny.

"I'll say them," Chelly exclaimed and stepped out, her anger getting the best of her.

"Chelly!" Luis hissed and tried to grab her but she had walked too far out. Oliver reached for her as well but she moved out of their reach and stood next to McGonagall and Trelawny.

"Not good," Ebony mumbled and put a hand over her eyes.

"I'm not surprised," Umbridge said. "But bear in mind, you will receive a consequence."

"I'd expect that from someone like you," Chelly fumed and spoke a bit lower so not many students could hear. "You are a mean woman. I thought this new form of detention was bad, I thought these rules were bad…but terminating a teacher off stupid principles is the worse I've come to see and you are nothing but a cranky bit-."

Before Chelly could get the words out the double doors opened and Dumbledore stepped out from them, moving down the stairs, face set. Umbridge smiled at Chelly. "You will have detention later."

"Well worth it," she spat with a shake of her head and stood next to the other two.

"Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore said as he approached Umbridge. "May I ask you to escort Cybil back inside. Chelly you will be coming with me." Trelawny gasped as McGonagall moved with her and paused to mutter inaudible crying words to Dumbledore giving him a hug before moving along.

"Dumbledore," Umbridge started. "Might I remind you that under the terms of educational decree number twenty-three as enacted by the Minister-."

He cut her off causing Chelly to smirk behind her back. "You have the right to dismiss my teachers. You do not have the authority to banish them from the grounds. That power remains with the Head Master."

She smiled broadly. "For now."

Dumbledore took her words and even Chelly gapped at them. He motioned Chelly to follow and turned to go back in addressing the students. "Don't you all have studying to do?"

Chelly followed him, hearing Harry call after the Head Master from somewhere in the crowd. She expected him to stop, turn around. But he didn't, so with a frown Chelly kept going, still hearing Harry call after him and felt partially bad for him. Not even a few minutes later she was up the winding staircase and standing in front of Dumbledore's desk while he sat in his chair on the other side.

"I know, I know," she sighed. "What I did was wrong and I should have held my tongue and it'll never happen again…I hope because I'm running out of skin and Snape might hang me from the ceiling or never let me out of my room again unless I literally have a ball and chain on my ankle, but I apologize and-."

Dumbledore held his hand up and she stopped mid sentence ready for her punishment. "I don't need you to apologize, Ms. Murillo. What you did was foolish and idiotic and will result in more detention for you and I couldn't be more proud."

Chelly had tilted her head down as he spoke but the last part caused her to jerk her head up as if she hadn't heard him right. "Huh?"

He gave her a smile. "You do what others in higher positions wish they could. You speak on behalf of most of us with your words, though not as eloquent as most would be. I encourage that, I just want to make sure you know you're playing with a deadly fire and I advise you not to get burned…though I don't see the harm in you occasionally stirring it with a stick."

Chelly grinned. "I've become pretty good at that."

"So I've come to see," he nodded with a smile. "Just be careful not to get too close. And be sure Ebony doesn't get too involved."

"You know about that?"

"Of course, dear girl. There's not much I don't know. With the Ministry poking about its best she keep in the dark, which gives you all the more reason to pose in the light and draw the attention away…you've done a great job so far."

"And the year is still young," she sighed and glanced at her bandaged hand. "Which is a good thing and a bad thing."

"I am proud of you for taking her aggressive forms of detention so well. You are a true Auror at best," he nodded at her.

She smiled with pride. "Thank you, sir…can I ask you one question though?"

"By all means."

"Why are you ignoring Harry?"

Dumbledore became silent as she watched him stare sat a spot on his desk, blue eyes heavy with remorse. "It's no concern of yours, Chelly. He will be fine…I'm sure Ebony is still looking after him as you are."

"Does it have to do with the tabloids and what the Prophet is saying?"

"I think you should be getting back to your friends," he said suddenly and she took that as a cue he wanted to speak no more on the subject.

"One more thing."

"What is it?" his voice was a bit on the impatient side now.

"My visions…I've been getting a few of them lately. Not sure what they mean. I get them sometimes when someone touches me and other times I just randomly receive them while staring off or dreaming. Not sure what a bunch of shimmering crystal balls has to do with anything or them falling off thirty foot shelves in a glowing wave means, but I've seen that a couple times…and the feeling of falling out a door or something…but that's just weird. So is a cut filled with this green liquid in the middle of a cave…" she shook her head. "I swear Mad Eye was wrong, I dream like every normal person. Because that's just crazy."

"Have you had any others? While touching someone or not?" he asked and she was perplexed by his sudden curiosity.

"Umm…yeah, as a matter of fact I had one when Fred touched me."

"Fred Weasley?"

"Yes, it was here on campus. In one of the upper outside corridors. He was laughing with Percy and he was about to say something when all I hear is this huge explosion…and then everything went black."

"Odd indeed," Dumbledore mumbled and sat back in his chair, fingers to his lips as he stared off in thought. After a moment he nodded at Chelly. "You can go, my dear. I'm sure Professor Umbridge is waiting for you."

"Wonder what it'll be this time," she sighed and headed for the door.

"Whatever it is, know it is well worth the pain and cost…for the greater good in the end."

"It usually is worth it," she nodded in agreement and left the Head Master to his thoughts. She headed to Umbridge's office with her head held high knowing later when she walked back to her room she'd have her tail between her legs because Snape would be less than happy with her for the third time in a row. But it was worth it. And she was sure it wouldn't be her last.

**ALONE/ COMMON ROOM**

"Professor!" Harry exclaimed and pushed through the crowds trying to get to the Head Master as he stepped inside with Chelly right behind him. He saw Chelly look back at him but continue on since Dumbledore showed no sign of stopping. "Professor, wait!" It was no use, the older man kept going up the stairs, not hearing him or ignoring him all together as he had all summer. Harry stood staring up at the stairs, alone now in the empty hallway as he had been most of the year.

"Harry!"

He turned slightly to see Ebony moving up towards him. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Thought I lost you in the crowd back there…you all right?"

"Why does he ignore me? Why won't he speak to me or even acknowledge I'm here, Ebony?" Harry asked her the question that had been on his mind all summer.

She shook her head. "I don't know, Harry. Honestly, I don't. He hasn't said anything to me on that account. All he told me was to watch you over the summer and not tell you about the Order or anything else that you now know about."

"Why does he want me to be alone?"

"You're not alone. As long as I'm still standing you're not alone. You have me and Chelly and Hermione and Ron and of course my dad, Snuffles," she said with a smile. The mention of Sirius seemed to cheer him up. A smile came to his face and he nodded his head.

She put her arm around his shoulders. "Come on, let's go back to the common room."

* * *

"Foul evil gargoyle," Hermione huffed as she paced back and forth within the room. Chelly sat on the couch next to Ebony, watching the brainiac walk back and forth and bandaged her other hand and having Ebony tie it off for her. Since there was no more room on the back of her left hand it took skin from her right hand and her knew collection of rules was "I must not speak out of term". She faintly wondered what would happen when her hands were filled, but Hermione seemed to catch her attention. "We're not learning how to defend ourselves, we're not learning how to pass our OWL's. She's taking over the entire school."

"I never thought I'd say this," Chelly shook her head in amazement. "But I think we're seeing eye to eye."

"Long time coming," Ron snorted as silence filled the room to be out spoken by the radio. Harry turned in his seat to turn it up so they could hear Cornelius Fudge speak more clearly.

"Furthermore we have compelling evidence that these disappearances are the work of notorious mass murderer Sirius Black," Ebony closed her eyes and shook her head at that point. The fire crackled in the pit and they heard a voice calling to them. All five turned and moved closer as Sirius's face appeared in the flames.

"What are you doing here?" Ebony whispered harshly to the fire.

"Answering Harry's letter, not that I didn't get yours, dear girl," Sirius said quickly as to not offend his daughter though that was the least of her worries. "You all said you were worried about Umbridge. What is she doing? Training you to kill half breeds?"

"Sirius she's not letting us use magic at all," Harry answered over his godfather's sarcasm.

He sighed. "I'm not surprised. The latest intelligence is that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat."

"Combat?" Ron repeated. "What does he think? That we're forming some sort of wizard army?"

"That's exactly what he thinks," said Sirius. "That Dumbledore is assembling his own forces to take over the Ministry. He's becoming more paranoid by the minute. The others wouldn't want me telling you this, but with Chelly and Ebony in the room I'll file it as miscommunication. But things aren't going at all well at the Order. Fudge is blocking us at every turn, even at Hogwarts as Ebony has informed me. These disappearances are just how it started before. Voldermort is on the move."

"Well, what can we do?" Harry asked.

Before Sirius could answer they heard a door close at the entrance to the Common Room.

"Someone's coming," Sirius said. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help. But for now at least, it looks like you're all on your own." The fire flickered and died out.

"What are you all doing around the fire?" George asked as he entered the room with Luis in tow.

They all gave a sigh of relief, half expecting it to have been Umbridge and Chelly was glad to see the two of them. She wasn't sure if she could take another detention in the same day.

"It's just your big goof," Chelly said to Ebony.

"Better than the gargoyle," Hermione muttered.

George and Luis looked around still confused. "Did we miss something?"

"Not much," Ebony shrugged as George came near her. She hadn't had a chance to be near him since she bargained with her father. At least he understood it all when she explained it to him, not the whole truth involving the reasons why buried beneath it. But enough to at least understand. "Just trying to figure out a loop hole to going behind Umbridge."

"That's a lot to go behind considering her puffy pink size," Luis snorted. He glanced at Chelly's new bandaged hand. "Are you making a collection out of those? It's becoming a hobby for you."

"Could have done the whole cutters thing or body piercing thing, but I figure this made a bigger statement. I'm a rebel," she held up her bandaged hands.

"What are we going to do about all this?" Harry said and grabbed Chelly's hand to examine her scars. "How are we going to stop her? Stop Voldermort?"

"We?" Luis repeated and looked around the room, figuring that Harry was addressing the lot of them. "How did I get dragged into we?"

Chelly elbowed him to shut up and Ebony glared, knowing that would do the trick though he'd be grumbling about this later. "You sit at the table, you're part of the group," Chelly explained.

Lightening flashed outside and they all turned to look out the window at the dark sky where the rain beat down harder. Hermione stepped closer. "He really is out there, isn't he?"

Nothing but silence answered her. The others not knowing what to say or wanting to admit to the inevitable truth. "We've got to be able to defend ourselves," she said. "And if Umbridge refuses to teach us how, we need someone who will." She turned around and looked at Harry who was standing between Chelly and Ebony. Her eyes flickered over the three of them and Ebony felt a sense of dread and guilt, knowing there wasn't much she could do to help. While Chelly smiled, this had been what she was waiting for. The ultimate pay back to the pink gargoyle. Neither saw the cold look on Harry's face, knowing he'd be the one to lead it.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Rated T for language_

_Disclaimer: I still only own the same characters_

**DA BEGINS**

"This is mad," Harry said as they walked through the snow of Hogsmeade to Hogs Head. "Who'd wanna be taught by me?"

"I really don't care who teaches," Luis complained and rubbed his hands together. "As long as I get the feeling back in my fingers."

"You won't be teaching alone," Hermione told him. "You'll have Ebony and Chelly to help you."

Ebony said nothing to correct her. It was too early to start an argument with herand in the end Hermione would just stay as stubborn as she was. But she knew she'd have to tell them sooner than later that she'd regrettably be of little help and try her best to explain why. The best she could do was teach Chelly some of the spells she knew that would be of use.

"And Luis can help," Chelly added on, catching Ebony's silence and no show of enthusiasm over the idea.

"Me?" Luis barked at her. "Why me?"

"Because you're super good at potions and know higher advanced ones than we do," Chelly told him. "Sure you suck at charms and transfiguration, but that's my job. You're good at mixing crap that does damage."

"Yeah but most of it you have to ingest. I doubt I can get a Death Eater to willingly drink Draught of the Living Dead."

"Then find a way to make it into a gas," Ebony said. "It's not impossible. If anyone can pull it off, it'd be you."

"Why not your dad?"

"He can't help in this," she shook her head and opened the door, leaving it at that. She held it open letting the others in before her and made sure the door was tightly shut and entered the room where the others had been told to meet. More had shown up then they imagined. Originally they felt only people from Gryffindor would have shown, thinking only Neville, Fred, George, Ginny and Dean would have been amongst them. But there were students from other houses. Not too surprised to see Luna but Cho and a few other Ravenclaws had gotten the message.

"Ummm," Hermione addressed them. "Hi, you all know why we're here. We need a teacher…proper teacher. One who's had real experience defending themselves against the Dark Arts."

"Why?" one guy asked.

"Why?" Ron repeated heatedly. "Because You Know Who's back, you toss pot."

"So he says," the guy snorted.

At the same time Ebony, Chelly and Oliver stood up from their seats.

"So says Dumbledore," Ebony said, blue eyes ice cold. "Have you ever known either of them to lie to you? Have you known your own Head Master to speak lies…"

"It's one thing to hear it from Fudge and the Ministry," Chelly added on. "Politicians always lie to cover their ass because ignorance is bliss so they'll keep telling you that the world is right as rain until it becomes too dark to see and then its 'oops, gee we were wrong' and it'll be too late."

"If you think that the Ministry has it under control, then by all means leave, there's the door," Oliver gestured behind them. "Don't let it hit you on the arse on your way out. You can go about your ignorant lies of life and believe that nothing is happening, or you can stay here and learn how to defend yourself. But if you do stay, know that we'll stand for no foul words said against Harry. We didn't stand for it last year," he glanced at the first year he had tripped in the corridors. The boy blushed and looked away. "And we certainly won't do it this year. Is that understood?" No one said anything and he nodded his head glancing at Chelly who was staring at him slack jawed, eyes twinkling. "What?"

"You are so hot when you take authority," she said to him, making him blush.

"Seriously," Luis nodded in agreement. "I'd take you if you were available." Chelly glared at him and Luis turned away. "And I know you aren't."

"If Potter could tell us more about how Diggory got killed?" another said.

Harry stood up now. "I'm not going to talk about how Cedric got killed so if that's why you're here, you can clear out now."

"Is it true you can produce a Patronus charm?" Luna asked from where she stood next to Cho.

"Yes," Hermione answered. "I've seen it."

Chelly's hand shot up with wide eyes and a glowing tone as she smiled brightly. "I helped teach him it. That would be me, so I can make one too…" Ebony rolled her eyes at her friend. "And Ebony can too!"

That got the crowd whispering and even Luis was intrigued now whereas before he had been picking lint off his sweater in boredom.

"Blimey, I didn't know any of you could that," Dean said in shock. "Especially you, Harry."

"And he killed a Basilisk with the sword that's in Dumbledore's office," Neville added.

"Hey, I helped hunt it, even got Petrified," Chelly intervened.

"Third year he fought about a hundred Dementors at once," Ron said.

"I was there for that," Chelly said over them, trying to get her glory. "Chased by a werewolf and everything. It involved lots of running."

"And last year he really did fight off You Know Who," Hermione finished.

Chelly seemed deflated. "Yeah, I wasn't involved in that one…" Ebony patted her on the head and Oliver put his arm around her shoulder, trying to hide the smile on his face.

"Look, it all sounds great when you say it like that, but the truth is most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time. I nearly always had help."

"He's just being modest," Hermione said.

"No," Harry corrected her. "Hermione, I'm not. Facing this stuff in real life is not like school. In school, if you make a mistake you can just try again tomorrow. But out there when you're a second away from being murdered or watching a friend die right before your eyes …you don't know what that's like." Everyone averted their eyes, even Fred and George for once didn't have a snappy comeback or a smile on their faces. Luis even stared at the floor, remembering back to when Luna's mum died just as Luna herself was thinking of it.

"You're right, Harry," Hermione said suddenly. "We don't know. That's why we need your help," she glanced at Ebony and Chelly. "All of your help. Because if we're going to have any chance of facing," she paused on the name wincing slightly and struggling with it, "Voldermort."

Chelly patted her on the back for having the guts to at least say it.

"He's really back," one of the other students said.

Harry nodded his head and the room was filled with students verbalizing their dedication to it. Hermione was quick to bring up a parchment that read Dumbledore's Army at the top. Her, Harry, and Ron were the first three to sign it followed by Fred, George, Oliver and a semi reluctant Luis being prodded and pushed by Luna and Chelly. He mumbled under his breath as he signed his name and took his DA galleon, but seemed prideful enough to hang it on a chain around his neck, tucking it under his sweater. Once the line was cleared and almost everyone had left back to school, Hermione picked up the paper looking it over brightly cheerful.

"I never expected an outcome like this. We have a little more than twenty people joined in," she frowned suddenly and scanned it over again. "Ebony, you didn't sign it."

The girl shook her head, brushing back her hair from her eyes. "No, I didn't."

Hermione held it out for her. "Here you go."

She glanced at the parchment and back at them regrettably. "I didn't sign it for a reason, Hermione."

"You have to sign it," she said bluntly.

Ebony looked towards Harry, hoping he'd at least understand."You do understand why I can't sign the paper? I'd love nothing more than to prove my loyalty…but…considering who my father is and what it might mean if my name was to be found on that paper…"

"I understand," Harry nodded but Hermione was still frowning.

"You won't join?"

"I will help you like I promised. I will go to meetings to teach you what I can without it being too…dark or arts, but I can't help every time and I can't put my name on that paper."

"Why not?" she argued angrily.

Luis gave Chelly a sideways look and motioned at Hermione. "Is she always this slow?"

Chelly nodded. "Yeah, for a smart girl she's pretty dumb."

"I'm not dumb," she growled at Chelly.

"Well, you're real good at acting like it," she said. "It's always one step forward two steps backwards with you. She can't sign the paper."

"Why not?"

"Because her father teaches here," George answered, even he wasn't that dense. "If Umbridge were to find out it'd be the end of the both of them. After the rules we already broke, she's lucky to still be here."

"She can give us away then."

Ebony rolled her eyes as Harry spoke this time. "Do you honestly think she'd give us away after everything she's already done to help?"

Even Hermione thought it over, shoulders slumped. "I guess you're right," she glanced at the other girl. "I'm sorry…I wish you could sign your name."

"I wish I could too…seems like my name goes unwritten on a lot of things I'd be proud of lately," she said and thought of her family wall where her name was also missing. "But let's not think of that, we should be figuring out where to meet at."

Luis glanced at his watch. "And we should regrettably be getting back before pink fluffy gives us detention for being three seconds late. Chelly can't afford to lose much more skin. She'll be getting rules on her feet before long."

Luckily for him, Chelly was too involved in paying attention to Oliver for the moment to clobber him for it. They did manage to move the two out the door and back to the path to school where she regrettably had to move away from him. Ebony tried to drop George's hand as they walked across the bridge but he held on and merely stepped away from her.

"I'm not supposed to be near you," she told him.

"You're not," he grinned and indicated to the space between them. "I'm eight inches away and we're in a group. I'm just holding your hand. There's no rule on that."

"Yet," Fred snorted.

"Right, first we need to find a place to practice," Harry said. "Where Umbridge won't find out."

"The Shrieking Shack?" Ginny offered up.

"Been there, don't wanna go back," Chelly said.

"And it gives me a bad feeling," Ebony shivered at the thought of the place.

"And it's too small," Harry sighed.

"Forbidden Forest?" Hermione suggested.

Ron and Chelly stared at her as if she'd grown a second head. "Not bloody likely."

"We wanna hold meetings, not get killed. Fluffy is in there now and I refuse to go running screaming through the woods again," Chelly added.

"Harry, what if Umbridge does find out?" Ginny asked.

"Who cares?" Hermione smiled. "I mean, it's sort of exciting isn't it? Breaking the rules."

Chelly and Ron once again found themselves staring at Hermione in wonder. "Who are you and what have you done with Hermione?"

"We only want to know so we can lock her away and make sure she never gets back out," Chelly agreed with a nod.

"Anyway, at least we know one positive thing that happened today," Hermione smiled.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"Cho couldn't take her eyes off you today," she grinned at Harry and he smiled back with a blush. No one noticed the angry and saddened look on Ginny's face as they walked on…and no one noticed Umbridge watching them from a window in the school.

**ROOM OF REQUIREMENT **

They all stood within the room that Neville had come across. Only those who needed to be there could even access it. It was the perfect place to hold their D.A. meetings. Hermione smiled at Neville as they gave it the first look through. "You've done it, Neville. You found the room of requirement. It's also known as the Come and Go room. The room of requirement only appears to a person who has real need of it and always prepares for the seekers needs."

"So…say you really needed the toilet?" Ron asked causing Hermione and Chelly to frown at him.

"If you need the bathroom that bad, I feel bad for you," Chelly said. "I didn't even think of this room. I'd used it a couple times before too. Especially last year."

"What did you need?" Ron asked.

Chelly smiled sideways at him. "A getaway from Professor Snape catching me and Oliver."

"You used it too?" George asked until Ebony elbowed him in the stomach to get him to shut up.

"Who hasn't used it for that purpose?"Luis snorted. Ron took the opportunity to step away from him at that point.

"All that matters is you found your perfect spot to train," Ebony said to Harry. "Umbridge can't come across it. Only those who know about it and need it for training purposes can find it."

"It's brilliant," Harry said in awe of the rather large room. "It's like Hogwart's wants us to fight back.

"We should get started," Chelly cracked her knuckles and moved further into the room towards the fireplace at the other end with Oliver to set up the Death Eater looking dummy that came with the room. They were surprised to see everyone had shown up when they turned back around.

"We should start with something simple," Hermione suggested to Harry.

"Expelliarmus?" he asked.

"Perfect," she nodded. "Don't want to start out with anything too difficult.

Chelly snorted. "I can do that in my sleep."

"And most of us can brew a hiccup potion with our eyes closed," Luis shot back.

"Quit bickering and get in line," Ebony pointed to the tail end of it. The two pouted but went to the end of the line, she could still hear them arguing back and forth. With a shake of her head she started towards the exit of the room, finding it a better idea to leave than be caught or questioned for it later.

Harry grabbed her arm. "Aren't you going to stay?"

"You know I can't."

"Please. You said you could help a few times…make this one of those times," he asked her.

Ebony was prepared to argue her retreat and head back to the dungeon, but the pleading look in Harry's blue eyes caused her rebuttal to melt. She sighed, "All right. But this is one of those times."

He gave her a relieved smile and she walked with him to the head of the line where Neville was first to try. The poor boy looked more nervous now than he ever did in potions class. The statue of the Death Eater moved its wand up and she heard Neville gulp.

"_Expelliarmus!_" the wand shot out of Neville's hand and went spinning to the back of the line. Everyone ducked to keep from being hit by it. Oliver's hand shot out and caught the wand out of mid air, his Quidditch instincts having kicked in. Chelly stood back up, having ducked with Luis and stared at her boyfriend in amazement.

"That was so hot," she grinned at him and again he blushed with a modest shrug. "I think we might need to come back to the room later on."

Oliver's blush deepened a bit and Luis nodded his head. "I second that." Chelly glared at him and he corrected himself. "Or maybe not."

"I'm hopeless," Neville said from the front of the line.

"You're just flourishing your wand too much," Harry said and held his wand towards the statue. "Try it like this, _Expelliarmus_!"

The wand shot out of the dummy's hand and clattered ten feet away to the floor.

"You want to be careful with how much you put into it as well. The spell reacts with your mood and intensity," Ebony said aloud for everyone to hear. "You can have it simply disarm your opponent or you can have it knock your opponent backwards with force. Like this, _Expelliarmus_!" she pointed her wand at the dummy and it shot backwards with the spell, clattering against the wall.

"Do you know any other spells?" Parvarti asked.

Ebony shrugged. "I know most of the basics."

"What about anything beyond that?" Colin asked.

"Yeah, something that's advanced and not taught here," Angela added.

"Something, I don't know, darker that does damage," another said.

She shook her head. "Those I won't teach. Nothing that could really harm someone or hurt them badly. So if you're hoping to learn those from me, you'll want to think again. And don't bother bugging Chelly or Oliver to teach them to you, they don't even know things that dark." She tucked her wand back up her sleeve and turned to Harry. "I should be getting back. I suggest that after you go through this round with them you leave too."

He nodded at her and watched Ebony leave out the door. She hurried down the hall, heading towards the dungeon staircase that was her only retreat.

"Ebony," she heard the cheery voice call out and froze, muttering a curse. She was so close to the staircase, so close to freedom, but was caught up by the pink fuzz ball walking towards her in pink pumps. "My dear, where have you been?"

"Walking the halls," she informed Umbridge.

"Is that all?" she asked.

"Yes, Professor."

"You weren't with your red headed boyfriend, were you?"

"No, ma'am. Only when I'm with my group of friends in the open like I've been instructed and I make sure to keep at least eight inches away from him at all times," she repeated what she was told.

"Very good," she smiled and actually patted Ebony on the head. She had to grit her teeth from saying anything and she swore her eye twitched a little at that point. Umbridge's hand went to Ebony's neck where her Slytherin pendant sat against her shirt. She pulled the necklace up and traced a pink fingernail over the insignia. "I find it very peculiar for a young lady who came from such a strong house like Slytherin to befriend others who are not…I hardly see you ever speak to anyone from your house."

"I don't have any friends from my old house."

"Yet you wear the necklace."

"My father gave it to me. He is the Head of Slytherin and I respect that immensely seeing as how nearly all of my family came from there," she said and was glad it was the truth to the most post part, most of her family _did _come from Slytherin, except her father Sirius Black being the only exception.

"Yet you are friends with Ravenclaws and Gryffindors."

"For the most part, yes," she nodded.

"You should have other friends too, dear. Some of your own kind, perhaps."

"Who would you suggest?"

"I don't know…Malfoy…Crabbe…Goyle."

"With no disrespect, I do see Malfoy regularly over the summer when I visit."

"But you don't seem to see him at school."

"I have other friends I prefer to see that I don't get to over the summer."

Umbridge smiled and let the necklace go. "Very well. I would guess that to be wise. You never know when they might not be here anymore." She giggled and turned back down the hall and Ebony wondered briefly what her words had meant. They had almost seemed like a threat to her.

Her foot had reached the second step of the staircase when once more she heard her name be called out. This time by Draco. "Ebony!"

"What?" she huffed, her patience had ran thin and she'd be damned if she wasted more of it on this snot nosed brat.

"Long time no see. Seems all your time is wasted on Potter and his poor excuse of friends," he sneered, Crabbe and Goyle snickering right behind him.

"I guess that would depend on how you view your time as wasted and how you see friendship. Because right now I'm wasting my time and breath on you and your Neanderthals."

His eyes flashed cold. "Is that why you declined every invitation over the summer?"

"No, sadly it wasn't. I just had more important things to do than sit around and listen to you demean everyone around you with your father and hear you whine and moan about everything that doesn't go your way like the spoiled brat you are."

"How dare you speak to me like that!"

"I can speak to you how I see fit," she said and met his eyes with her own fiery ones. "And until you can say something decent will continue to speak to you the way you speak to others. Doesn't feel so good coming from the other side, does it, little ferret?"

She saw his hands ball up into fists as he clenched his jaw and moved up the two stairs to him. "Go ahead, Draco. Hit me. If it'll make you feel like more of a man to hit a girl than do it because if you do, you will feel like less of a man after I kick your ass for it. So please…go ahead and do it because it'll be the only glory hit you get."

She waited with a smile, hoping he'd hit her and let her relish in the fact that she wiped the floor with him after. But he took a step back and indicated for his goons to follow. "This isn't over, Ebony."

"I wait for you to bring it up again," she called after him and was finally able to go down the staircase in peace where the halls were empty. She came to her door and placed her hand upon it. It glowed and opened for her to step in. With a sigh she undid her cloak and folded it up, plopping down in her chair across from her father who hadn't even bothered to glance up from his book to acknowledge her.

Ebony wasn't sure what hurt more, him being angry with her as he had a few nights ago after they were in trouble for breaking the rules or the distance that seemed to deepen between them with each passing day. He hadn't spoken much to her over the last couple days, not since she saw into his memories. She found the silence to be more painful than the anger.

"How was your day?" she asked after a few minutes ticked by.

"Fine."

She nodded her head. "Anything interesting?"

"Not really," he turned the page in his book and kept reading.

She stared into the fire, not knowing what else to say to him though the tension in the air was thick, almost visible. She didn't know what to say or how to say anything to fix this and bridge the gap. With a sigh she said the only thing she could think of and knew it would upset him, but at least he'd be showing some emotion towards her. It was better than the nothing.

"Sirius asked me to spend Christmas at Grimmauld Place with him this year…" she saw his hands tighten on his book and his body tense. But his eyes never left the page.

"And…?"

"I told him I'd have to check with you because you're my father."

"So is he."

"Yes, but I live with you. I spend Christmas with you."

"Do what you want."

"What I want is to not upset either of you," she said and couldn't help the tone in her voice.

"Spend it with him, he is your father after all," he said the words coldly and she felt as if she'd been slapped in the face. The air seemed to had left her lungs and she could only stare at him and still he didn't look at her. He didn't acknowledge she was there at all. Like she didn't matter and with the words he had just said, it was how she felt. She didn't matter, he had proclaimed her to not be his daughter.

Chelly picked then to come through the door and even she came to a grinding halt once the air in the room hit her like the ton of bricks it felt like. "Umm…should I come back later and let you two finish this?"

"No," Ebony said before Snape had the chance to say anything if he was even going to. She was still staring at him, her blue eyes just as cold. "No, this conversation is more than done."

She stood up from her chair and went to her room, slamming the door hard enough behind her the walls shook. Chelly stared wide eyed and shut the door behind her, her eyes on Ebony's door. "What in the hell is going on?"

Snape said nothing and she turned her body to look at him. He was still reading his book. "Hey," she growled and removed the book from his hands in anger. "I'm talking to you."

Snape took a deep breath. "None of it concerns you."

"Yea, it does since I live here now."

"Nothing is going on, Murillo. Give me my book."

"It sure as hell doesn't look like nothing," she said and pointed to the door with her other hand. "Nothing doesn't set her off like that and you two haven't been talking to each other much over the last few days. I'm not that stupid, you know."

"Could have fooled me."

"Yeah, crack your jokes to cover up the truth. But you need to fix this shit with your daughter. It's really starting to tick me off," she said angrily.

Snape still didn't look up from the fire pit. "She's not my daughter anymore."

Chelly's eyes widened as she felt the blow just as much as Ebony must have. "What?! You gotta be kidding me? That is the biggest crock of crap I've heard all year and I've heard a lot of it from the pink fluffy one. But this tops it. Ebony is your daughter. That girl is more devoted to you than anyone else, Snape. And you are really stupid after all if you don't see that. She chose you over Black. She defends you at every turn. Hell, I guarantee that if she ever had to choose between you and Harry, as much as she loves Harry, she'd choose you. Why? Because you _are_ her _father_. No one has ever thought otherwise when it came to you guys. She loves you. And don't you dare start saying you're not her dad because that'll destroy her. After all the bullshit you two have gone through if you let Sirius Black coming back destroy what you two have then you really are stupid and you really are a cold hearted prick," that caused Snape to look at her with an intensity she'd never seen before but she didn't turn away, she kept her angry eyes on him. "Voldermort deserves you then and maybe if you feel the need to break her to try and save her, if that's what you're doing then think again because it would only destroy her. She needs you as much as you need her. So do us both a favor and fix this shit, before you lose her forever and make the biggest fucking mistake of your life." She tossed his book back at him as he sat there shocked by her angry words. "Here's your stupid book."

She made it a point to slam her door as well and Snape was left alone in the room in front of the fireplace to think everything over. The fire caught the object left on table by Ebony's chair causing it to sparkle. He leaned forward with a frown and picked it up. It was her ring. She had removed it at some point during the argument and for once he felt the numbness of what he had just done as he sank back into his chair and stared into the fire. While behind her door Ebony added memories to her glowing Pensive as tears fell down her cheeks, staring at her now empty hand. In her own room, Chelly had he headphones on full volume, drowning out any other noise in the castle though the rest of the chamber was silent.


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I don't own any JK Rowling characters, only the three I created_

**DA MEETINGS**

"Stunning is one of the most useful spellsin your arsenal. It's sort of a wizard's bread and butter," Harry explained to everyone at the next meeting. Only Chelly had come this time, Ebony unable to attend. She hadn't seen much of her friend that day and when she had she made sure to stay off the subject of last night's feud.

"Come on then, Nigel," Harry instructed and stood at the opposite side of the room from the younger smaller boy. "Give me your best shot."

Nigel took a deep breath and held his wand up. "_Stupefy_!" he shouted and Harry went reeling back, hitting the wall and clashing to the floor as everyone gasped at the effect it had. It even sent Nigel backwards.

"Good," Harry grunted as he sat up. "Not bad. Who's next?"

Ron and Hermione both volunteered at the same time.

"Great," Harry nodded and gestured them both to come up as he limped off to the side.

Ron moved closer to Hermione reassuring her. "Don't worry. I'll take it easy on you," he promised and moved to the other side of the room.

Hermione shook her head. "Gee, thanks Ronald."

"I bet you three quid she kicks his ass and a month of my rocky road pudding at dinner," Luis whispered to Chelly.

"You're on. I got my bro's back on this one," Chelly nodded.

"One sickle," Fred whispered to George.

He nodded at his twin. "You're on."

Neville gave Ron an empowering shake of his fist and Ron smiled smugly as he held his wand at the ready. He opened his mouth to speak but Hermione was quicker. "Stupefy!" Ron went flying backwards bouncing off the wall behind him as Chelly and Fred let out a curse,

"Dammit," she muttered and dug in her pocket, pulling out three quid and giving them to a grinning Luis.

"Thank you," he smiled and tucked them away in his own pocket while Neville's hand movement became an ear scratch as he stared at the floor.

Fred grudgedly gave his twin the money and George smiled at him. "Thank you."

"Shut up."

"I let her do that," Ron defended himself as he came to stand by them.

"Sure you did," Fred nodded.

Chelly shook her head and put a hand over her face while Oliver patted her in the back. "And I call you my friend...I lost dessert over you."

"It was good manners," Ron continued.

"Definitely," Luis said. "Let a girl kick your ass. Makes you more of a man."

"Completely…intentional."

"I'll bet," Chelly grumbled. "Why couldn't you just hit your girlfriend with it?"

"She's not my girlfriend," he balked.

"Keep telling yourself that," she said. "It's all in time."

The door behind them opened and Ebony came in, pulling down her cloak. "Just wanted to warn you," she spoke to Harry. "Filch is sleeping in his chair right outside the door. He didn't wake up when I came in but I had my cloak on and it was just me. There are more than twenty of you so I suggest you go out the other side."

Harry nodded. "Thanks for the heads up."

"It's part of my job to keep you out of trouble," she told him and moved over to George who was quick to drape his arm around her shoulders. "But speaking of trouble…I think you and your brother need to be boiling up some…not that I'm promoting it or anything. Just suggesting you take care of Filch and what better way to try out some of your puss boil candy."

George and Fred grinned at her. "I think my evilness is rubbing off on you."

"You sure it's not the other way around," Chelly snorted. "She was a Slytherin."

"Hence why they're the perfect pair…despite the difference in looks and smarts," Fred teased.

"What do you boys say to that mere suggestion?" Ebony asked looking up at the two of them and seeing the grin on their faces and the twinkle in their eyes.

"I say it's the best idea you've ever had," George told her. "Think we can do it, Fred."

"I can guarantee it."

And boy did they ever…

**QUESTIONING**

"Come in, dear girl," Umbridge ushered Ebony inside. She expected this the moment she saw the new proclamation posted on the wall and when she was told to report to Umbridge's office she was in the least bit surprised. Still she couldn't help the dread she felt inside her, but kept her face as passive as she could, having learned that from her father…from Snape. She felt her heart tug at the thought. They still hadn't spoken since that night. They ate their meals at dinner at the head table in complete silence, just as they had that evening. She couldn't bring herself to say anything. After all, she had nothing to apologize for. And each day that passed that he didn't she wondered if everything had been a lie after all.

"Would you like a cup of tea, dear?" Umbridge asked as Ebony took a seat in the pink chair across from her desk. It was just like in her father's memory. Everything was bright and pink and she really did have a bunch of cat plates on her wall.

"No, thank you," she said politely.

"I'm sure you know why I called you here," she said plainly with a smile that never left her face.

"Yes, I think I do. I imagine it has to do with student organizations."

"Yes indeed. Do you know anything about it?"

"I can't say I do," she shook her head and kept eye contact.

"You're quite sure?"

"Yes. I've seen nothing or heard nothing from my friends. If they are doing anything I'm unaware of it."

"And you are not part of any activity?"

"No, ma'am."

"And you don't know where any meetings are held?"

"No."

"Hmmm…" she frowned and there was a knock on her door. Her face lit up as she addressed the person on the other side. "Come in."

The door opened and Ebony turned on her chair her eyes widening slightly as her father came in. But not just at seeing him there, but the bottle in his hand. Veritaserum, truth potion. This wasn't going to bode well for her in a moment.

"Ah, Severus," Umbridge beamed and stood to get the bottle from him as he stared at Ebony with a puzzled look. "You brought it, thank you so much. This will aide me well in my discoveries to find out the truth," she looked at Ebony as she said it.

"May I ask what my daughter is doing here?" Snape asked and Ebony felt her heart loosen a little as he called her his daughter once more.

"I'm just questioning students and she was on my list to question about any activities that may be going on. I'm only using your truth serum on those I feel are…withholding information," she giggled a little.

"I haven't been lying to you," she argued with the professor.

"Then this shouldn't be a problem," she said and uncorked the bottle, spilling a few drops into the tea cup in front of her. She stirred it a little and handed the cup to Ebony. "Drink it, my dear. All of it."

Ebony stared at the cup for a moment, her heart beating faster as she took it and managed to keep her hand steady. Without hesitating she drained the cup and set it on the table letting out a deep breath and waiting to feel the effects. She felt no different as she sat there, her father standing off to the side and Umbridge smiling pleasantly from her seat behind her desk.

"Do you know why you're here?" Umbridge asked.

Ebony waited to feel something constrict in her to keep her from lying but the question she already spoke the truth to so felt no different yet. "Yes."

Her smile widened as she leaned forward. "Do you know anything about any secret meetings?"

She waited for the constricted feeling to tighten her throat and keep her from telling lies. For her mind to scream the answer till her mouth couldn't fight it anymore but it didn't happen. She opened her mouth and let the lie fall out as naturally as before. "No."

Umbridge's smile faltered a bit and she must have taken the surprised look on Ebony's face to mean she was shocked from telling the truth.

"Are you part of any secret organization on campus?"

"No," Ebony said again, partially wondering why she could still lie.

"Do you know where any meetings are held?"

"No, I don't."

"Do you know who's involved in them?"

"No."

"Professor Umbridge, if I may, how could Ebony know any of these things when she knows nothing of it to begin with?" Snape intervened.

She glared at him and looked at the bottle. "Are you sure this is the right potion?"

"Why would I give you the wrong one? It is a truth potion. Ask her anything else to test it."

Umbridge's eyes went back to her. "When is your birthday?"

"April 15th 1975," she said with ease.

"What house were you in?"

"Slytherin."

"And your mother's maiden name?"

Ebony felt her throat tighten at the thought of her mother. She could still see her strikingly beautiful face and piercing dark eyes. She was twenty when she died. She had only been three when the Order killed her and a few other Death Eaters mostly her family, having no choice but to do so and Ebony couldn't blame them. Her mother had been as evil as they had come, having killed Molly Weasley's brothers. She couldn't forgive her mum for something like that, for dragging her into it and taking her to watch, telling her she'd someday be just like her mum and the others. A Death Eater. And how the Dark Lord would be so proud of her. "Vebha. She was a Slytherin. Two years older than my dad."

"What is the name of your best friend?"

"Chelly Murillo. She's aide's Potions here and dates Oliver Wood. Her birthday is May 2nd 1975."

"And what year did you graduate?"

"1990."

"Ah ha!" Umbridge proclaimed and Ebony jumped startled, wondering if she had slipped. "You were fifteen then. You wouldn't have graduated till 1992."

"She graduated early, Professor. Exceeded all of her credits and scored remarkably well on her OWLs in her fifth year. She graduated two years ahead," Snape informed her with a bored tone.

It seemed to deflate all the air from Umbridge as her smile vanished. "Very well…you may go since you obviously know nothing."

Ebony was quick to move out of the chair and leave the office and the classroom where other students waited to be questioned, more than half of them her friends and she saw Chelly was next, but didn't stop to tell her what was going on or about the truth serum she might ingest. She needed to get out. She stopped in the hallway and leaned against the wall with her eyes closed while thoughts of her mother still whirled through her mind. She wasn't sure why she thought of her now. She guessed it was Umbridge mentioning her. She never thought of her much before or what her mother had forced her to watch as a child.

She felt a hand rest warily on her shoulder. "Ebony?"

She opened her eyes but kept her gaze to the floor. "Yes?"

"Are you…all right?"

"Why do you care?" she asked in a harsh whisper, letting her emotions get the best of her. "You haven't spoken to me in days. Why do you care now?"

"You seem to be…in distress," he said and paused to try and find the words. She noticed his voice still seemed to be forced at a distance with her.

"I'm fine. I'm great. Why didn't the potion work on me? Why could I still lie? Was it a fake bottle?"

"No, I just happened to slip the counteraction to it in your coffee this morning. Yours and Murillo's as well. I even managed to drip some into Wood's and Lagunas's as a precaution. In case she decided to use it on any of them, they could find the ability to lie without hesitation."

"You knew I was involved?"

"Of course…I imagined you'd help Potter in some way. That you'd at least know about it. And I certainly knew Murillo wouldn't be able to resist. She has an inkling for trouble these days."

"Yeah, I can tell by her hands," she smiled a little up at him and the moment came and went as both of them seemed to realize that they had held no tension between them at that small fracture in time. But it passed and the barriers went right back up. "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it. Something else seems to be troubling you, what is it?"

She shook her head. "Nothing you can help me with."

"Try me."

"I have tried with you. You don't seem to listen or want to help…and considering some of the things going on in my mind that are troubling me have to do with you…I can't see you helping."

The hand on her shoulder stiffened and she regretted speaking the truth for the first time. "I see…" his hand fell from her shoulder and his eyes grew cold again. "Since I'm of no help to you…and only seem to trouble you, I will see you later then, unless that would trouble you more." He turned and left down the stairs then and Ebony slid down the wall, resting her head on her knees as she listened to his footsteps disappear. She wanted to cry. She wanted to go after him. But she refused. Not now and not here. She would fix this later.

Other footsteps approached and she heard them slow down as whoever it was clearly saw her sitting out here with her head resting on her brought up knees. She heard the person stand next to her and slide down the wall to sit by her. "Hey Ebony."

She lifted her head to look at Ginny, the fourth year smiled at her. "Hi Ginny. What are you doing here?"

She gestured at the door a few feet away. "Umbridge wanted to see me. I take it she saw you. Did it go well?"

"Great. Just don't drink any tea. She has a truth serum with her."

"Isn't that illegal?" her eyes widened.

"It's Umbridge. Half the stuff she does is illegal," Ebony snorted.

"Is that what's bothering you though…the questioning with Umbridge?"

She bit her lip. "Yes and no…some of it has to do with a question Umbridge asked me. It shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did…it was a simple question. And she couldn't know the full truth…not many do."

"Does it involve," Ginny glanced around but saw no one. "Your real father?"

"No…not really…it involves my mother."

"Your mum?" Ginny frowned. "I never thought much about that. Suppose you have to have one though."

"She died when I was three."

"Oh…I'm so sorry," Ginny apologized.

"Don't be," Ebony was quick to correct her seeing as how her mother had affected their lives. At least affected Ginny's mum's greatly. "Don't feel sorry. My mum was an evil woman. Not nice at all. She…she was a Death Eater right and true to the very end. It's why she was killed. She was trying to kill people in the Order…my Dad being one of the ones she wanted dead so she could take me away and raise me the way she wanted. Her and the other Death Eaters with her tried to kill the members of the first Order. So they killed her and the others instead."

Ginny was shocked into silence and Ebony smiled a little. "It's all right…I never told anyone that before. Never really spoke of my mother."

"I can understand why," Ginny nodded. "Do you feel better about it though?"

Ebony nodded, feeling lighter already. One load had been removed from her mind. Now all she had to deal with was her Dad. "Yeah, I do…thanks Ginny."

"No problem," she stood up with Ebony. "Anytime you need it. I better be going in though."

"Right. Don't drink the tea," she warned her. "And, oh, Ginny."

The red head paused to turn to her. "Yes?"

Ebony smiled sideways at her. "I just want you to know…I think Harry likes you more than he lets on."

The younger girl blushed the same shade of her hair. "Wh-what makes you think I like Harry?"

"It's pretty obvious. And for the record, I have no interest in him. I think I'll stick to your brother."

"Don't see how you can? He's obnoxious and arrogant and not too bright at times."

"He's your brother. And I don't see how you can be interested in Harry. He's quiet and too brave and pities himself a lot at times and he's friends with your brother and he's always serious."

"He's a great guy and cute, he's perfect," she said and blushed having given herself away.

Ebony smiled with a nod. "He's my brother…I have a hard time seeing him in any other light. But your secret is safe with me."

Ginny let out a sigh of relief and went inside the room. Ebony turned on her heel and went down the stairs to the main hall that was empty save for a few students. Before she even knew where she was going she was in front of the statue speaking the password to Dumbledore's office and moving up the swirling stairs.

The professor sat behind his desk looking over documents deeply. He paused to look up and straightened in his chair when he saw it was Ebony. "Ebony? To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

She shrugged and walked deeper into the room. "I just needed to talk."

"About what?" he said and motioned with his hand. A chair slid across the way to her and she sat down in front of his desk. He offered her a lemon drop and she declined.

"One being my mother."

"Your mother?"

"I imagine you must have known her."

He nodded slowly. "Yes…yes I did…bright girl. Very bright. She was just…"

"Evil," Ebony filled in the gap

"Lost is the word I was thinking of, but that works too. Your mother, Calandra Vibha, was beautiful and brilliant, it's how she caught your father's eye at such a young age…but her entire family came from Slytherin and many were Death Eaters and she knew of nothing else…I think your father wanted more than anything to save her from that fate as he had derailed himself from it having come from a family of Slytherin's and Death Eaters himself. When the two of them found out Calandra was expecting, Sirius had hoped it would sway her away from the Dark Lords calling. And both had agreed to keep you and her pregnancy a secret from all others. Not many knew, just Sirius's closest friends. I knew nothing of it till after you were born. And no one in Calandra's family knew. She was afraid they'd cast her out for being with a Gryffindor and she couldn't take the humiliation. And Sirius didn't want his family to know of you either. You live here in Hogwart's for the first few years of your life, a secret inside the walls and your father would take care of you between classes when he had time and your mother seemed to sweeten up. He had thought she had changed…we all did. Till she graduated the year you were born. It was all in vain. She embraced the Death Eaters call and became one of them almost immediately after she graduated. You stayed here since your father was still a student for two more years. He raised you practically on his own and Calandra would stop in once in a great while to see you, more interested to see if you would become marked with Death Royalty than anything because it would put her in deeper graces with the Dark Lord. She took you one day when you were young, passing you off as a friend's daughter to show you what Death Eater's did…she took you to witness one of her missions…"

"I remember," Ebony spoke suddenly. "It was Molly Weasley's younger brother's. Fabian and Gideon. Calandra and some of the others, mostly her family, tortured and killed them…I remember seeing them die."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment. "I didn't know you remembered that…you were only three."

"It's as far back as I can remember…just as I remember being told she was dead and not feeling sad about it because I was glad…I was glad my mum dead because she was so mean. I remember thinking she was so cruel and it was better this way. Besides…she tried to kill my dad, Sirius."

"Yes," he nodded. "She did. And Remus and James and the others in the Order at that time. I have a feeling there's more to this though…"

Ebony nodded. "It's my Dad…"

"Severus."

Ebony met his eyes, wondering how he knew. "Yes…"

"I've seen the tension between you two as of late. I wondered myself what was going on between you two."

She shook her head. "I don't know. I was hoping you did. He's been distancing himself from me more and more ever since summer…since Sirius was back in my life."

"It's natural he feels threatened by it. I expected it to say the least."

"I did too, just not this much. He doesn't talk to me anymore. He doesn't even look at me and he's…practically disowned me as his daughter," it hurt to even speak the thought aloud

"I highly doubt he'd ever throw you to the side, Ebony. Severus loves you more than he does himself. Your one of the few things he's ever loved in his life."

"Lily being the other."

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes…and after she died he was a broken man…and then he saw you nearly the same day he lost his best friend, the only person in the world who in the end caused a change in him and made him fight for the other side, and he seemed alive again. Because of you he found a part of himself he didn't know existed, he found the ability to love again in a manner he never knew and look past any differences because he saw not who you came from, but you. A little girl who had lost the only person she had known to love just as he had…and from that day you two bonded and you became Ebony Snape…just as you are today and that bond is still there. Or else you wouldn't be here talking to me. You'd be able to move on from any distance or problem you had with Severus without a blink of an eye…but you're here because you love your father and want to mend this, because you never doubted for a moment that he loved you too. And maybe he' doing this as a way to help you."

"To help me?" she repeated baffled.

"Yes…it's the only way Severus knows how. To cut you off from him emotionally in hopes you'll forget about him and move on. He's foolish to think you will though, to think he can move on and distance himself from you as well."

"Why would he do that, Professor?"

"To save you from choosing between your biological father and himself. As much as he hates Sirius he knows he's your father and feels you should be with him now. He feels that you'd be compelled to stay with him and he doesn't want to be the reason."

"But I don't want to stay with Sirius…I love him…but…"

"You prefer your life with Severus and the bond you have there."

"Yes…," she nodded her head. "I'm more at home with Severus. I feel in my heart it's where I belong, where I've always belonged."

Dumbledore smiled. "Exactly…and does Severus know this?"

Ebony blinked a few times and found she'd never had said those words to him. "No…"

"Maybe you should. You'd be amazed at what those few words can fix."

"I'll do that," she stood up from the chair and started heading towards the door. "Thank you, Professor."

"You're welcome, my girl. If you need to talk any more of it, let me know." He watched her leave and made a mental note to speak with Severus later on to make sure he understood Ebony as well. It was his duty after all, as a near grandfather to the young girl, to help mend things between the two.


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I still only own Ebony, Luis, and Chelly. Another character will be added on later but only a minor one._

_A/N: Many thanks to Rock Royalty for the wonderful reviews!! Thank you so much. Here's a nice, long emotional, yet fullfilling, chapter for you_

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**NIGHTMARES AND OCCLUMENCY**

Ebony wondered the corridor under her cloak. She found herself unable to sleep and could only toss and turn in her bed for what seemed liked hours. Finally she gave up and decided to go for a walk, using her cloak since it was passed one in the morning. She thought about waking Chelly to go with her, but decided against it. It would be the cause of a lost limb. Sure Chelly loved food but a close second was sleep that she loved just as much.

She was up the stairs now, walking the corridor, her wand tucked up her sleeve. It was a pain to carry around now since she had always just worn her ring. But with its absence she found herself needing to take her wand. She rubbed the bare finger where her ring had sat for years, the tan line marking it on her skin. She missed it. It had made her feel like she was family, like she belonged…and now she wasn't sure where she belonged or where she fit in. She felt as aimless as the halls she walked.

With a sharp gasp Ebony came to a halt, feeling as if the hall was spinning as the whispery slithered voice flew past her ears, too mixed to fully hear. Her wrist started to burn and pulse and she managed to move her watch away to see the mark dark on her skin, the snake moving about. He was up to something…and that meant Harry would be in danger. Breaking from the dizzy spell that had stopped her, Ebony ran up the stairs to the Fat Lady's portrait and hurriedly said the password before running up the boy's stairs two at a time and all but breaking down the door, not caring who saw her.

As she expected, Harry was tossing and turning in the throws of a vision from Voldermort. She shook his shoulders. "Harry," she whispered. "Harry, wake up. You got to snap out of it. Come on, wake up. Don't let him get to you. Wake up, Harry!"

Harry's eyes shot open as he lay there, panting and covered in sweat. His blue eyes flashed to hers. "Arthur…Mr. Weasley…he's in trouble…"

Ebony glanced over at Ron who stared wide eyed and awake. "Come on. Get up. Both of you."

"Where are we going?" Harry asked, already sliding his glasses on and moving out of bed as Ron did the same.

"To see Dumbledore," she gestured them out the room in a hurry and all but shoved them out of the portrait and dragged them down the hall to the twirling staircase. The other Weasley's were already there, lined up in the room with McGonagall. Ebony gestured Ron to go to them and kept her hand on Harry's who was still panting, drenched in sweat.

"In the dream were you standing next to the victim or looking down at the scene?" Dumbledore asked Harry without turning around to face him.

"Neither it was…it was like I w-was…Professor will you please just tell me what is happening?" Harry stuttered still in shock.

Dumbledore ignored him and addressed a painting to check in on Arthur Weasley.

"Sir?" Harry tried again.

Again Dumbledore ignored anything he said and talked to another painting about what was happening. "Go to Grimmauld Place and inform them that Arthur Weasley has been gravely injured and his children will be arriving there soon by port key."

Another painting had returned to speak to the Professor. "They found him Albus. They say he'll make it. Once more the Dark Lord failed to acquire it."

It? Ebony frowned at the word. What was it? What was the Dark Lord after? Harry was at the school so it couldn't have been him. Was it the prophecy they were speaking of? The one that had been mentioned all summer at the Order meetings. She felt Harry's grip tighten on her hand and heard the whispery words flash past her.

Harry shook his head a little still panting and shouted at Dumbledore. "Look at me!"

Even Ebony jumped at his shouted words as the room went silent the only sound was Harry's heavy breathing. "What's happening to me?"

"You wished to see me, Professor?" Ebony and Harry both turned to see Snape standing there, just as careful as the rest of them were.

"Yes, Severus. I'm afraid we can't wait…not even till morning. Otherwise we will be vulnerable," Dumbledore said and Ebony's eyes moved to Harry and then to George then back to Dumbledore.

"What will you have me do, Professor?" Ebony asked.

"The choice is up to you. You're needed in two places at once and I cannot decide for you."

Ebony moved her eyes to look at Snape, the gap of distance still there and then looked at George huddled with his family, their father gravely injured on Christmas but they were at least together, a family. She knew where she had to be. "I'll stay here and help Prof…" she paused and licked her dry lips. "And help my father."

Dumbledore gave her a nod and then nodded behind her towards Snape. Before she could even say good-bye to George she felt Harry's hand get pulled from hers as her father dragged him by his arm out the door. She gave a sorrow filled look towards him and left the room, following behind Harry as they went down the dungeon steps towards her dad's office.

He dragged Harry straight to a chair across the room and all but shoved him into it. Ebony stood off to the side in silence. This was her father's assignment and she wasn't one to interfere. Especially not with Occlumency lessons. These were a pain both figuratively and literally to deal with and learn. Luckily, for Ebony it had been Dumbledore who had taught her to use it and block people from entering her mind. She folded her arms over her chest and could only watch.

"It seems there is a connection to the Dark Lords mind and your own and whether he is, as yet, aware of this connection is as for the moment unclear," Snape explained to Harry and busied himself with a set of tools he unrolled on his desk. That made sense to Ebony now as to why she felt Voldermort in the school, why her mark burned on her wrist. He was in Harry's mind and Harry was able to see what he was doing.

"Pray he remains ignorant," Snape said and took out his wand.

"You mean, if he knows about it then he'll be able to read my mind," Harry said slowly and even Ebony snorted. He could only wish that would be the only thing the Dark Lord would do.

"Read it…control it…unhinge it," Snape said and turned around. "In the past it was often the Dark Lords pleasure to invade the mind of his victims, creating visions designed to torture them into madness. Only after extracting the last exquisite ounce of agony. Only when he had them literally begging for death would he finally kill them."

Ebony shivered visibly and thought she saw her father glance at her. It was the thought of Calandra Velba that caused the shiver and the memory of seeing her torture the Prewlett's till they couldn't take much more...till she finally let them die.

"Used properly the power of Occlumency might help shield you from access or influence. In these lessons I will attempt to penetrate your mind, you will attempt to resist. Prepare yourself," he ordered Harry and Ebony took a deep breath for him. Snape pointed his wand. "_Legilimens_."

Harry gritted his teeth and closed his eyes against the pain and Ebony felt helpless. All she could do was watch as Harry tried to stop Snape from seeing his memories, from getting into his head. But it proved to be to no avail.

"Concentrate, Potter. Focus," Snape instructed him. Harry continued to wither in the chair, gripping the arms till his knuckles turned white.

For what must have been hours to Harry was only minutes as Ebony interfered. "Enough."

Snape dropped his wand and concentration, having seen more than enough of Harry's memories, some that had to include Ebony in them. Harry sat panting in the chair, eyes closed, trying to regain himself.

"Don't be so hard on him," she said. "I've had lessons on this before and mine were never so rough."

"Do you think the Dark Lord will be so gentle trying to break in to him?" Snape asked her.

"No, but I do think that if you try it with more ease that he'll be able to get it better," she said and pushed off the wall to stand next to Harry. "Let me try. Just once."

"Fine. But then I'm doing it my way," he said.

She nodded and lifted her hand, almost forgetting she no longer had her ring. She stared at her bare finger for a moment before reaching up her shirt sleeve and pulling out her wand. "I'm going to try it easier, Harry. All you have to do is block me from seeing your memories…just don't think of anything. It's the easiest way I can explain it." He nodded his head at her and closed his eyes. She pointed her wand. "_Legilimens_."

The memories swept past her just as they had when she was in her father's mind. But instead of thinking about nothing like she told him too, he seemed to be thinking about her. She saw a young Harry, Hermione, and Ron walking down the corridor and saw herself sitting on the ledge reading her book. "Who's she?" she heard Ron ask.

"I don't know," Hermione answered. She could feel Harry's déjà vu as he looked at her.

The memory cleared away to another, the first potion lesson. She stood behind Harry and listened to the conversation her other self was having with Snape. When they all found out he was her dad. She moved through the memories again and stopped in on the one when they were trying to save Sirius, waiting outside in the forest for everyone to emerge from the Whomping Willow.

"Would…would you at least come visit us?" Harry asked causing Ebony to blink. "Sirius and I, when I live with him…would you come visit us?"

She smiled and touched his shoulder. "Of course, I will."

"Good, I'd like that a lot…I'm sure Sirius would too."

Ebony stood just behind the memory of Harry, watching him talk to herself. "Block me, Harry. Don't think of anything. Just block me, push me out."

She felt a push against her and knew he was trying, it just wasn't strong enough. "You have to try harder than that. If I wanted to I could delve deeper and don't think my dad won't next time he tries. And don't think Voldermort won't try to penetrate your mind worse than that."

She released herself from his thoughts and Harry blinked a few times as she put her wand away. Her father raised an eyebrow at her. "Well?"

She shook her head. "He tried to block me, it just wasn't strong enough so I released myself."

"How thoughtful of you," he mumbled and went back to reading Harry's mind. Ebony glanced at her watch. It was Christmas morning…she hadn't thought of that and for the first time she could remember, she wasn't happy with the holiday.

**CHRISTMAS **

"The only thing I'm looking forward to is the food," Chelly said, snacking on a chocolate frog as she continued to open the rest of her presents in Ebony's room. Both girl's were showered and dressed. Chelly had dragged all her presents into Ebony's room, wanting to open them with her friend instead of alone in her room and was busying herself with the candy Ebony had bought her on one of her last Hogsmeade outings. She was even wearing the Eeyore shirt Snape had gotten for her and no doubt she had on the sneaker's Luis had bought her.

"When are you not looking forward to food?" Ebony questioned and flipped through the book on the Must See Movies Dumbledore had gotten for her. They were discussing what was awaiting them at Grimmauld Place, having decided to go have dinner there before coming back here to spend the rest of the evening with Snape. Chelly had grumbled about it, but agreed despite herself. Ebony felt it best to spend Christmas morning with him and then be back before it was too late in the night. Though it hadn't been much of a morning. She had awoken to find her gifts as usual but before opening them she thought she'd at least see her dad…but he hadn't been there when she went into the den. His chair was as empty as his room and she felt her heart sink, but it didn't take long after her shower for Chelly to come bounding in to see her with her presents from her family as well as Luis.

Ebony glanced at her watch. "Almost time to go to Grimmauld."

"Too bad Oliver can't make it. He's spending the holidays with his family," she pouted and stuffed another candy into her mouth, her other hand twirling the pendant that hung at the end of her necklace. It was a little gold snitch on a white gold chain. A good move for Oliver as were the owl earrings she also wore that he had gotten for her. Partially as a joke since her animagus was an owl and she was always asking Oliver to help her "look" for her "missing earring", a running joke since the Yule Ball. Kind of the same reason Ebony bought George a bunch of different colored socks. Though she did buy him and Fred a lease for one of the empty shops in Hogsmeade to open their business after they graduated. She felt that was a bigger present that would mean more to him.

Ebony picked up another of her presents and unwrapped it. She opened the box and stared at the pendant in it, feeling her face drain of color. Lying against the silk in the box was a necklace with the Death Eater insignia on it.

She read the writing on the tag, there was no name. Only the initials. L.M…Lucius Malfoy. She shook her head. "Son of a bitch."

"What?" Chelly looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened, she reread the tag as Ebony had. "Oh shit…does he know?"  
"No," she said. "No, or else they'd have come from me. This just means they expect me to be a Death Eater as well…that my dad's plan…and at least my cover is working."

"Throw it away," Chelly said and shivered at the sight of the skull and snake.

"I can't," she said and reached across to her nightstand. She opened the drawer and shoved the box in there. "But it doesn't mean I have to wear it."

"Speaking of your dad…or dads in this case, what did you get?"

"Sirius sent me this," she said with a smile and held out the black stuffed animal of a dog. "And a new sweater jacket."

"Nice," she chuckled and took the dog from her. "What about Snape?"

Ebony felt her heart tighten and shrugged, trying to keep any emotion from her face. "I don't know. I haven't seen him at all…"

Chelly stopped playing with the dog. "What? After you bought him that ancient old book that took forever to find?"

"Haven't seen him today…not since he helped Harry with Occlumency last night," she repeated. She reached across her presents to distract herself from the shocked and turning angry look on Chelly's face. She held up the dark blue ribbon necklace with the charm at the end "But Luna got me a necklace for Nargils…and a subscription to the Quibbler."

"Yeah…I have like four of those charms by now," she pulled at the one she wore on her neck on the orange ribbon. She clattered the seven different colored bracelets on her wrist. "She got me these this year. Seven different colored bracelets that do seven different things."

"Really?"

"No idea, but they're pretty. One wards bugs off cuz I hate spiders. One is a good luck bracelet, that's the blue one. One wards off bad dreams, I think that's the pink one. One's to soak up sweat. The red one is for fear of heights, supposed to calm me down or something. I know the purple one is for clarity."

"She's creative I give her that."

They could hear the school tower chiming that it was now noon. Ebony tried to hide her disappointment as she heard it. Her father hadn't show up after all. The gap between them seemed to be widening with each chime of the clock. Chelly popped another chocolate frog into her mouth and tucked the rest of the candy into her purse, the one Ebony had gotten for her that fit more of her stuff into it. She managed to get it all in around her book that she had stored away earlier without a problem. She grabbed Ebony's hand and dragged her off the bed and out to the den.

"Come on, we don't wanna be late. Mrs. Weasley is making ribs tonight and she always makes three kinds of desserts," Chelly threw the flo powder into the fire turning it green.

Ebony glanced at her dad's chair and Chelly jerked on her arm. "Oh no, don't go letting him spoil your Christmas. You can deal with him later. Let's go visit the rest of your family. Grimmauld Place."

She nodded her head agreement and glanced once more about the chamber, leaving it for her other home, hoping to find the one she belonged in.

Both girls stepped out of the fireplace without a hassle. They now stood in the den of the Black family house that seemed more cheery than before. Mrs. Weasley had obviously decorated given the Christmas lights that hung about and little ornaments hung n the ceiling. There were even homemade stocking on the hearth.

"She went all out," Chelly murmured.

"I'll say," Ebony agreed. They stepped out into the corridor and Chelly went up the stairs to leave her purse in Ebony's old room while she waited downstairs, wondering where her dad was hiding at. Her eyes drifted to the family tree room for a moment. The room where her entire family lie, all but her. Even in this family she was unknown, unwanted, and didn't belong.

There was a knock on the front door to interrupt her thoughts and Ebony opened it to see Oliver standing there, puzzled to see him. "Oliver? I thought you were visiting your family."

"I am," he nodded, eyes darting to look past her in search of Chelly. "I just needed to stop by and see Chelly for a moment."

Ebony shrugged and ushered him in. The moment he passed the doorway he spotted Chelly coming down the stairs. "Hey babe, didn't expect to see you here. I thought you -."

That was as far as she got. Oliver had taken the stairs in a rush to meet her and cut her off with a kiss. Ebony's eyes widened as she stood there, waiting for the two to part ways, but the more she waited the deeper the kiss got. She tried clearing her throat, but got nothing. She coughed and they didn't seem to hear.

"Alright already!" she exclaimed and the kiss finally ended with Chelly breathless.

It took her a moment to regain her composure. "Not that I mind. But why are you here?"

"I just had to stop by and thank you for the present you got me. I couldn't exactly thank you when we were back at Hogwart's, as you can tell. Not that the detention wouldn't have been worth it. I just doubt your hands can take much more."

"How thoughtful of you," she rolled her eyes.

He gave her a quick kiss and headed back down the stairs. "I'll see you later. I got to be getting back," he paused to nod at Ebony. "Happy Christmas, Eb."

"You too, Oliver," she held the door open for him and shut it once he was out. Ebony glanced up the stairs at Chelly. "What did you buy him?"

"A new broom signed by some members of the Irish team," Chelly said.

"Nice. No wonder he had that reaction. I bought George a store for his Weasley products and I got a hug," Ebony mumbled and met her friend at the bottom of the stairs.

Chelly laughed, "What did he get you anyway? Please tell me it wasn't socks."

"No, besides for the truck load of products that I'm sure you got, he got me these," Ebony moved her hair out of the way to reveal the ruby studs in her ears that had small diamonds at the bottom.

"Good move on his behalf. Step up from the scented candles he bought you last year," Chelly said and they walked down the hall to the dining room where everyone else was, including Mr. Weasley who was still pretty banged up but alive.

"There you two are," Mrs. Weasley smiled and ushered them in all but throwing them into their seats. She sat Ebony across from George and Chelly next to her, right next to Harry and handed them their packages.

"Open them," she smiled brightly.

Chelly held up her sewn dark blue sweater that had a gray C in the middle of it. She forced a smile on her face. "Thanks, Mrs. Weasley…" she glanced at Ebony who had an identical sweater in dark green with a light green E in the middle of it. "They're great."

Mrs. Weasley continued to watch them with a smile and Chelly realized with a cold dread she wanted them to put it on. Both girls tugged them on over their clothes, the sleeves a bit long, but not hard to adjust. "Ohh, they look lovely," she clapped her hands in joy and took a picture of the girls forcing a smile though they felt they looked ridiculous. "I'm sure you two must be hungry," she said and that caused an actual smile to come to Chelly's face as she stared at all the food that settled on the table. It didn't take long for her and Ron to pile plates high of ribs and rice.

Ebony shook her head at her and happened to glance at the doorway where Sirius leaned against the frame with a smile. She pulled at the homemade sweater from Molly and he laughed quietly with a shake of his head and shrugged his shoulders. She noticed he was wearing the watch she had bought him and held up her black sweater jacket that she had removed to put on the one Mrs. Weasley had made. He nodded in understanding and waved at Chelly. She managed to give a wave back before turning her attention back to her appetite. Ebony shrugged in a what-can-I-do-about-it manner at her dad and he returned the response and sat down next to Harry to eat. She decided to just enjoy the company of her family and eat before Chelly and Ron devoured the rest of it.

**FAMILY TREE**

Ebony had escaped from the dinner table, excusing herself after Sirius had left and dessert had started. Chelly wasn't bothered by it, in fact, she wondered if she'd notice she was gone as she dived into the triple chocolate cake. Ebony wandered into the family tree room, removing her green sweater and replacing it with the one Sirius bought her.

Her hand traced the large tree painted on the wall, fingers trailing over each branch to each member, the electric blue of the fingernail polish Lupin had gotten her striking contrast over the pale green wall.

Her Uncle Regulus was one of the only ones she had ever known and she only met him twice that she could remember. He had died when she was four. She never knew her grandmother though the way she heard listened to the degrading painting chatter and scream all the time she was unsure she wanted too. She knew her cousin Andromeda and with that Tonks, of course, though Andromeda's portrait was blackened off the wall next to Bellatrix and she knew her cousin Narcissa though the Malfoy family was unaware of the blood relation they shared.

She had just finished tracing Narcissa's name that branched off to Draco's when the door creaked and Harry came in. He seemed shocked to see her there. "Ebony?"

"Hey Harry," she smiled at him.

"What…what is this?" he asked as he stared at the wall she was touching.

"It's the Black family tree," she told him and scanned it with her eyes. "Has my whole family on here…everyone who doesn't know I exist…most are dead. But they're all here."

"This…this is Sirius's house?" Harry questioned.

"Well, now it is…it belonged to my grandparents…I never knew them. The way Dad speaks of them, I guess its good I didn't. I lived here for a couple years when I wasn't living in the towers of Hogwarts."

"You lived at the school?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes. I was a secret to everyone, remember?"

"I-I just didn't know you were that much of a secret."

Ebony nodded. "Yes…no one knew of me…except my dad and my mum of course…Uncle Remus and Uncle James knew as well…Dumbledore didn't even know til after I was born and Dad needed somewhere to hide me…so I lived in the highest tower where either Dumbledore or McGongall would care for me until my Dad had time to between classes. I didn't come to live here until after my Mum died," she traced another branch. "I remember coming in here often to follow the tree…see the family I'd never get to know."

"Amazing," he said in awe. His eyes moved to where her hand was tracing branches and she heard his sharp intake, could see his body stiffen from the corner of her eye and knew he had figured it out. "Draco? As in Draco Malfoy?"

She nodded her head. "Yes…he's my third cousin…his mother is my second cousin…just like Tonk's is my third cousin."

"You're related to the Malfoy's?" he asked.

She nodded with a sigh. "Why do you think I visit them every summer…they don't know this of course…I prefer it stayed that way." She gave him a pointed look to emphasize it.

"I-I won't tell. Of all the secrets you have to hide, I'd find this to be the darkest," he gestured at the Malfoy's name on the wall.

Ebony let her hand fall from the wall, her eyes drifting to the concealed mark under her watch, the darkest of all her secrets. She smiled faintly, "Yes…you would think so…"

"Nasty brats, standing there as bold as brass," Kreacher grumbled as he walked just outside the hallway and paused long enough to stare callously at them. "Harry Potter, the boy who stopped the Dark Lord and Ebony Snape, the bastard child who refuses to follow in her bloods footsteps. Friends to mud bloods and blood traitors alike…my poor mistress…"

"Kreacher!" Sirius yelled, descending the staircase just outside the door. "That's enough of your bile. Away with you!"

"Of course, master," the elf bowed. "Kreacher lives to serve the noble house of Black."

"Sorry bout that," Sirius apologized as he entered the room and came to stand next to his daughter and godson. "He never was very pleasant, even when I was a boy. Not to me anyway."

"No need to apologize to me…Kreacher never liked me when I was younger, I doubted time had changed him," Ebony shrugged. "I'm used to his insults. Those haven't changed much either."

"Ebony tells me you lived here," Harry said.

"Yes…it was my parent's house. I offered it to Dumbledore as Head Quarters for the Order. It's the only useful thing I've been able to do," he gestured at the wall. "This is the Black family tree," he pointed to one of the face paintings. "My deranged cousin, I hated the lot of them…my parents with their pure blood mania," Sirius pointed to his name on the wall where a black spot covered the portrait, burnt off the wall. "My mother did that after I ran away…charming woman. I was sixteen…with a one year old daughter they knew nothing about…"

"Where did you go?" Harry asked.

"Your Dad's," he smiled at Harry. "Ebony stayed with me awhile…Dumbledore let me stay at the school during the summer after that so I could keep Ebony with me and not have to worry about her being found out."

"Is that why her name isn't on the wall?" Harry asked. He had noticed there was no branch trailing off of Sirius on the wall whereas Narcissa had Draco branched off of her. Seeing as how Ebony was older, she should have a branch of her own.

Sirius took a deep breath and glanced at Ebony who kept her eyes on the wall. "Yes…she was a secret. None of my family, except my long dead brother Regulus, knew of her. She was only known to a few people that mattered…"

"Ebony Black never existed," Ebony said, her eyes staring at the spot where she should have been included but didn't belong.

Sirius put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him in an embrace. "You exist to me, that's all that matters," he put his other arm around Harry. "The two of you are all that matters."

"Sirius…" Harry said and pulled away. "When I…when I saw Mr. Weasley attacked I wasn't just watching…I was the snake. And afterwards in Dumbledore's office there was a moment where I wanted to…" he was breathing heavily and shook his head to calm himself. "This connection between me and Voldermort, what if the reason for it is that I am becoming more like him? I just feel so angry all the time and what if after everything that I've been through something's gone wrong inside me? What if I'm becoming bad?"

Ebony got the feeling of déjà vu as Harry's words reflected what she had said to her father in the corridor at Hogwart's seven months ago where she had been so confused about her birthmark and what it had meant. She had been so worried about becoming evil since it literally ran in her blood and she never stopped to think that Harry might be experiencing the same thing in a different way with Voldermort's connection.

Sirius was quick to step next to Harry, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders. "I want you to listen to me very carefully because I told Ebony the same thing I'm about to tell you…you're not a bad person. You're a very good person who bad things have happened to. You understand?" Harry nodded and he continued. "The world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters, we've all got both light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on…that's who we really are."

Harry nodded again and Ebony stayed silent in her agreement. She played both parts in her light and dark side. One to appease and trick the evil side when she had to, the other to be who she really was just like her father…just like Snape. Sirius put his hand on her shoulder as Hermione and Chelly ducked their heads into the room.

"Harry time to go," Hermione said.

"Yea, Eb. We gotta get back through the fireplace before I can't fit through it anymore," she patted at her full belly.

Sirius walked them out of the room. "When all this is over, we'll be a proper family. You'll both see." He first hugged Harry before embracing Ebony and giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"Bye Dad," she smiled at him and waved as Chelly threw the Flo Powder into the fire pit. "Hogwart's Dungeon."

He waved at her and Chelly grabbed her arm and waved at Sirius. "Bye Snuffles." She pulled Ebony with her through the fire place before Sirius could retort against his hated nickname. The two found themselves standing in the dungeon chamber seconds later, luckily not covered in soot.

"That as fun," Chelly smiled and let out a sigh. "I am stuffed…what time is it?"

Ebony glanced at her watch. "A little after six."

"Harry and the others won't be back until about 7:30," she plopped down on the couch as the fire resumed to its natural orange state. "We got time to relax and enjoy ourselves like we did at Grimmauld."

She nodded and sat silently in her chair, glancing at Snape's empty one. It didn't surprise her that he still wasn't in the chamber though she had hoped he would have been. She feared he was meeting with the Dark Lord on what should have been a happy and unwinding day, yet it ended up being the saddest and most confusing.

"What's wrong?" Chelly interrupted her thoughts and Ebony shrugged her shoulders. "Don't give me none of that shrug your shoulders crap. What is it?"

"It just…it didn't feel the way I wanted it to today."

"What do you mean?"

She ran her fingers through her hair and settled back in her chair. "I didn't feel at home there…I thought maybe I would with me and Snape not getting along right now. I thought this would be good for me to go home and spend the holiday with my dad, the way it should be. But it didn't feel right, Chell. It still felt empty. _I_ still felt empty."

"Because Snape wasn't there," Chelly filled in the blank spot.

Ebony slowly moved her head in agreement. "Yea. I think so. I love Sirius, don't get me wrong…"

"You just fit in with Snape more…its where you belong, Eb. Nothing wrong with that…you belong here."

As her friend said the words she felt that empty part of her feel whole again for a few moments before the void opened up and carried it away. Until everything was settled it would never feel right. Home would never feel like home and there was no replacing it. No matter how har she tried to fit Sirius or Grimmauld into that particular spot it would never fit because it belonged to Severus and this chamber. Sirius would always be part of her family, but he could never take over what Severus had created and left in her very soul.

"I do belong here…" she repeated the words just as the door opened and Snape entered the chambers. The air seemed to freeze as father and daughter stared at each other across the room completely motionless. The only sound was the crackling of the fire and the cold wind blowing outside the castle.

"Dun dun dun," Chelly broke the tension causing Ebony to shake her head and roll her eyes at her. "What?" Chelly shrugged and folded her hands over her stomach. "It was needed for dramatic effect to the scene…someone had to do it."

"Of course that would be you, Ms, Murillo," Snape drawled. "Nice shirt by the way…seems to be fitting you a little tighter at the moment around the middle."

She stuck her tongue at him. "I was hungry and took advantage of the food."

"I can see that."

She humphed and folded her arms over her chest with no comeback in mind and just slumped deeper into the couch. Ebony continued to stare into the fire, unwilling to meet her dad's gaze any longer. With a deep breath, Snape crossed the room to stand just in front of Ebony. Her eyes ever so slowly slid upward towards him. He held out a small box to her and she took it.

She rolled it over in her hand. "What's this?"

"Part of your present…I didn't get to give it to you this morning…I was with Dumbledore and missed you before you left."

Ebony opened the box up and the fire caught the diamonds into a draft of sparkling lights that surrounded either side of the black pearl. It was her ring. She removed it from the box. "But…this is your family heirloom."

"That's why it belongs to you," he said and took a deep breath. She could tell he was having a hard time with this as it was exceeding his usual comfort zone…which wasn't much past a pat on the shoulder or a quick hug. "I know…that with the recent reoccurrence of Black I've been anything but pleasant to you. I've treated you far worse than I do most my students because of my stubbornness. I just…I felt it would be easier for you."

"Easier for me?" she repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"To adjust to being with Black. With your other family. I thought I could simply move on from it as well…and I found that I was wrong on all accounts. I made things far worse because, simply put, you are my family…its why the ring belongs to you. Black may be your father by blood…but it doesn't make you any less part of me."

Ebony had slipped the ring back onto her finger while her dad was talking and felt that void in her fill but not just for a moment, it stayed whole this time. She lifted her gaze up to see her dad holding out a folded piece of paper to her and took it with a frown. "What's this?"

"Just open it," he sighed.

She unfolded the document paper. It was an old birth certificate. She read it over and her eyes widened. Snape explained it at her puzzled look. "When you were born you were a secret. Black couldn't ever claim you existed and neither could your mother so you went unknown…however…when I adopted you as my own…I had your birth certificate created. I thought you needed to see it to fix your troubles that have been haunting your mind lately."

She gazed up at him, eyes wide with surprise that he knew about it when she had never told him and he smirked at her genuinely. "I told you…I know everything."

Chelly had moved to look over her shoulder, curiously at the document. "Holy hell…it's your birth certificate," her eyes were glued to where it said father and read Severus Snape. "What do you know…you are her dad after all…just like I told you," she smiled smugly at him.

"Would you like me to slip another sleeping potion into your morning coffee?"

Her smile fell and Ebony glanced up at her dad. "You claimed me?"

"Yes…why wouldn't I have? You're my daughter."

She smiled at the words and felt to be in the right place. Before Snape could react Ebony launched herself out of the seat at him, hugging him, burying her face in his chest. Luckily, with years of knowing her, he came to expect this and had braced himself for the sudden emotional attack, his arms going around her back. "Thank you," she mumbled.

"You're welcome," he told her and stroked her hair. "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay," she said into his robe. "Everything's okay now. Everything is perfect."

There was a bright flash and both Snape's turned to glare at the grinning Chelly, where she stood with her camera in hand. "It was a Kodak moment…I've been waiting for you two to get over this."

"I'll be saying the same thing at your funeral," Ebony grumbled.

"You can mortally wound her later," Snape said and let her go from the embrace. He flicked his wand at the coffee table and a few brightly wrapped presents appeared on it. "Now I'd like you to open your gifts."

Ebony sat back in her chair. "But I have them already," she held up the paper in her hand that she wore the ring on.

"Did you honestly think that was all?" he rolled his eyes. "You know me better than that. Open them."

Chelly frowned at the amount of packages. "Hey…she got more than me?"

"I like her more than you," Snape said.

Chelly pouted. "You could have at least lied and said mine were more expensive or something."

"Why lie? It'll only hurt your feelings more than to just tell you the simple truth."

"It's called being nice but that word doesn't seem to exist in your vocabulary."

"Just like the word full doesn't exist in yours."

"Hey! I am a growing girl."

"You stopped growing two years ago, Ms. Murillo…at least height wise."

Ebony smiled as she listened to the two banter back and forth to each other, feeling more at home with the arguing and not realizing how much she had missed it. How much she had missed her ring, how much she had missed feeling whole, or how much she had missed her father. This was her family, this was exactly where she belonged.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you to all who have been reading this. You make it worth posting and sharing. **

**Disclaimer: As much as I want to claim Cedric, I can only claim Ebony, Chelly, and Luis.**

**PATRONUS**

Chelly cracked her back, twisting around, as she stood next to Luis. She'd been waiting for this lesson forever and was partially sorry Ebony wasn't there to help. But it meant she got all the glory for being able to do it seamlessly. The Patronus Charm was indeed her favorite of all. It hadn't been easy to learn as Ebony's uncle Remus Lupin had learned over the summer when they were eighteen two years ago. She'd taken out a few windows, killed a couple plants and, to her utter regret, blew the hair off his house cat Toots. But once she got the hang of it, it was easy. Just like it was now.

"_Expecto Patronum_," she said and demonstrated what it would look like to the other D.A. members. A white light flowed out of her wand tip turning into a feathery owl that swooped around the room in a brilliant light. She was welcomed with "oo's" and "ahh's". She smiled smugly and just prayed the others didn't blow anything up as she had when she first tried.

"Very good, Chelly. Thanks," Harry nodded at her and addressed the others. "Make it a powerful memory. The happiest one you can remember. Allow it to fill you up. Keep trying Seamus," he said as he moved along the room.

"Now you might not get it the first time," Chelly patted Luis on the shoulder. "But don't feel bad. It took me a few times before I got it. So it might take you a couple days, but you'll get it."

"Go ahead and try, Luis," Harry told him.

Luis cleared his throat and held his wand out. _"Expecto Patronum!"_ T he white blue light came out of his wand much to his surprise and Chelly's disbelief. A ferret appeared in it, squeaking and running about him happily. "Awesome," he grinned.

Chelly licked her teeth and grumbled as his ferret ran around her head, mocking her. "Beginners luck."

Luis patted her on the shoulder."It's okay Celly-Bird…some people just get it right away…kind of like potions."

"Great job, Luis," Harry beamed and continued on.

Oliver had mustered up his Patronus and stared with a smile as it turned into a bear, roaring as it moved around in the air. "Whoa…Chelly, check it out."

"A bear? What did you think of?" she asked curiously and leaned against him.

"My first day as captain for the team and our first win," he told her proudly.

George's wolf ran past Oliver's animal and she turned her attention to the Weasley, a little peeved that no one had to blow anything up to get there's and that most seemed to get it on the first try…though she did take pride in the fact Hermione was having a hard time with it. Not so smart now was she.

"George…do I even want to know what your memory is?"

He gave her a crooked grin and leaned in close to her so no one else could hear. "Let's just say it happened this year and if Professor Snape knew I'd be one of the ghost's haunting the school and my body would never be found. He'd do more than rip my ears off."

She turned to Oliver and hit his arm. He rubbed at the spot and looked over at her. "Oww! What was that for?"

"George's happiest memory is of Ebony in a way I never wanted to imagine, but still. It's of her and yours is of your game!"

He gave her a give-me-a-break smile. "Doll, what's you happiest memory?"

She thought it over. "My mum's cooking…or the time I rode on Buckbeak."

"Uh huh, and it's not of me?"

She bit at her nails. "No…"

"Okay then, case settled," he said.

They heard a horse and turned to see Ginny's Patronus galloping around the room. "Fantastic Ginny," Harry beamed at her. "Just remember, your patronus can only work for as long as you stay focused." He walked past Luna as hers turned into a rabbit, hopping around her. Chelly smiled but it was short lived as the chandelier above them shook and a booming noise could be heard.

"What the hell…" she frowned and everyone turned to look at the glass wall that shook with the force.

"What is that?" Oliver asked and as the words left his mouth the glass shattered to the floor. They drew their wands at the ready, in case they were to be attacked. Stupidly, Nigel moved forward to look through the hole in the wall and Harry peered in after him.

"Not so sure that's a great idea," Luis muttered next to Chelly.

"Told you…they aren't known for their brilliance," Chelly said right as Harry grabbed Nigel and threw him back as the wall exploded.

Chelly gasped and Luis shrieked as both shielded themselves from debris. Chelly felt a sharp twinge of pain in her cheek and coughed as the dust settled. She wiped at her face and her fingers came back smeared with blood. Umbridge stood where the wall used to be flanked by Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Filch and others she didn't recognize…but she did recognize Cho who was being held by her arm by Draco looking guilt ridden. The bitch had ratted them out.

"Get them," Umbridge hissed.

"Uh oh," Chelly managed as she was grabbed by Crabbe and dragged over to Umbridge with Harry in tow.

Umbridge tisked as Draco handed her a paper with a list of names on it and the title Dumbledore's Army. She quickly scanned through it. "No Ebony…I'm a little disappointed that she was being honest with me," she eyed Chelly. "And I'm not so surprised to see you here." She glanced at Harry. "The two of you are coming with me to see Professor Dumbledore…I've already informed the minister of this and he's personally be here to witness the removal of the Head Master."

"Removal?" Chelly repeated. "You can't get rid of Dumbledore."

"Keep speaking, Ms. Murillo and you'll be removed next," Umbridge smiled and led the way out of the room. Crabbe dragged Harry and Ebony behind him and she shot a look over her shoulder at her friends who were restrained by the others. She was in good hope that Luis would at least make it as hard as possible on Draco though.

**DUMBLEDORES GOT STYLE**

Chelly stood next to Harry at the fire place. Crabbe had let them both go only to be dragged into the office of Dumbledore by none other than Percy Weasley. She was a bit relieved to see Kingston there though, but she wanted to punch the Minister in the face for being an ignorant idiot and not realizing in bright neon green that Voldermort was back to begin with thus avoiding all of this. More so she wanted to kick Percy in the jewels for gripping her arm tighter than necessary as he held her and Harry in the room. She didn't care if he was her friends brother, way she saw it she'd be doing the whole family the honor of it.

Umbridge was ranting on to Fudge as Dumbledore sat unfazed against his desk. "See Dumbledore's Army," Umbridge held the paper to Fudge. "Proof of what I've been telling you right from 

the beginning," she addressed Dumbledore. "All your fear mongering over You Know Who…we saw your lies for what they were, a smoke screen for your plan to seize control over the Ministry."

"Naturally," he shrugged in a bored tone.

"No, Professor. He had nothing to do with it, it was me," Harry argued causing Percy to grab his collar tighter. Chelly went with the slight movement but made her point to slam her heel into Percy's foot causing him to wince and look at her. She mouthed 'sorry' with a grin

"Most noble of you, Harry, to shield me. But as it's been pointed out the parchment clearly says Dumbledore's Army. Not Potter's. I instructed Harry to form this organization but I, and I alone, am responsible for its activities," the Head Master said. Chelly's eyes widened and she looked over at Harry who had the same expression on his face.

"Dispatch an owl to the Daily Prophet. If we hurry we should still make the morning edition," Fudge ordered. "Dolores, Shacklebolt, you will escort Dumbledore to Azkaban."

"What?" Chelly exclaimed in her shock and he Professor looked over at her, warning her to stay silent and for once she took his warning and held her tongue though it almost physically hurt her to do so.

"Ah," Dumbledore smiled and moved around his desk as the others approached him, wands drawn at the ready. "I thought we might hit this little snag. You seem to be limbering under the delusion that I'm going to, what was the phrase, come quietly. Well I tell you this, I have no intention of going to Azkaban."

"Enough of this," Umbridge growled and Dumbledore spared the moment to wink over at Harry and Chelly. "Take him."

He clapped his hands up as Fawkes flew down and exploded in a burst of flames with enough force to send the four who had approached him to the floor. Chelly blinked a few times to readjust and saw that Dumbledore was gone. She grinned and cackled as Umbridge and the others got to their feet in disarray. Except for Kingston who smiled and wiped at his clothes.

"You may not like it Minister," Kingston said with a smirk. "But you can't deny, Dumbledore's got style."

"Hell yeah," Chelly agreed where she still stood next to the bookshelf, Percy's hand around her upper arm. "That old geezer's got game." There was a rattling noise and a book dropped on Chelly's head as the office seemed to disagree with her calling him a geezer. "Ouch!" She rubbed at the spot and frowned at the bookshelf. "Alright! He's not an old geezer…sheesh…but he's still got game and if you had any you'd help me out here," she lightly jerked her head at Percy and heard the shelf rattle again, dropping a heavier one onto Percy.

He let them both go to rub at the spot and cry out in pain.

"Hehe, serves you right," Chelly smiled.

"Enough of this, see that she's taken to her dungeon chamber's. Professor Snape has already been alerted of her disobedience yet again," Umbridge ordered Percy who seized her arm one more time and made it his mission to drag her down the hall and stairs to the dungeon hall.

"You know, you don't have to be so rough, Percy," she told him as she nearly tripped again over a stone in the floor.

"You leave me no choice, and it's Mr. Weasley to you," he sneered.

She rolled her eyes. "I'll call you Mr. Weasley when you stop being a big idiot. I don't even call your _dad_ Mr. Weasley…which reminds me, how is your dad, Percy? I didn't hear you stopped at the hospital to see him after he was attacked and nearly killed…and it was Harry who saved him you know…some son you are to care so much for your family."

She could see she was getting him. His hand was tighter on her arm and his jaw was tense. "You will not speak to me like that."

"I just did."

He stopped right in front of the chamber door, hand still on her arm. He raised his other hand to knock on the door and Chelly thought it best to not embarrass him much further than necessary. "I got it," she put her hand on the door where it glowed and opened. She pushed it open and smiled sarcastically at him. "This is my stop. It was a pleasure, Percy, we'll have to do it again sometime," she wretched her arm from his hand and stepped inside giving him a wave. "Buh bye."

She shut the door and turned around to face the firing squad, but was surprised to only see the two sitting in their chairs like nothing had happened…for some reason this scared her more. She cleared her throat and Ebony glanced up from where she sat, her legs draped over the arm of the chair, reading her book. "Hey Chell."

"Didn't you hear what happened?" she asked timidly and sat on the couch ever so slowly.

"Yes," Snape droned on, nose still in his book. "It's all over campus that Professor Dumbledore disappeared out of the school and that his 'army' was caught."

"And…you're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be? I knew you were part of it and you'd be caught sooner rather than later. I'm just thankful Ebony wasn't there."

"So…" she thought it through. "You're not mad that I've been busted breaking yet another rule and got detention again or that Dumbledore has disappeared because they suspect him of treason or that Umbridge is now the Head Master."

"I expected it," Ebony shrugged. "Nice cut on your cheek by the way. Might want to put some of that Mulrap on it so it heals quicker."

Chelly touched her cheek and winced slightly. She forgot about the cut. "Okay then…since none of you are mad, I'll just go take a shower…"

"How did the Patronus Charms go?" Ebony asked with a sly grin. The fire causing her eyes to twinkle with blue mischief. "Did anyone blow anything up?"

"No," she said through gritted teeth. "They all got it…easy. Do you want to know what your boyfriend's happy thought is, though?"

"Not unless you want me to remind you what the room of requirement _isn't _for," Ebony said back.

"Touché," she nodded. "Deal on that one."

Snape only looked at them both curiously, but neither spoke furthermore on the topic.

"I'm going to bed," she stood up from the couch and made her way to her door but paused as Snape spoke to her.

"Oh, Ms. Murillo…by the way…I expect a three page parchment on my desk tomorrow afternoon on the uses and effects of the Patronus charm you so admire."

Chelly spun around wide eyed to see if he was joking. But he was Snape and when it came to homework he was never joking. "Are you serious?"

"Do I look serious?"

"You always look serious, but you said you weren't mad!"

"I'm not," he shook his head. "But it doesn't mean your deed, no matter how noble, goes unpunished."

She stomped her foot. "That's not fair!"

"_And_ ingredients D-G including their main uses…" he added on

Chelly gapped at him. "What? No!"

"Would you like me to add on to it? I can think of a few more things for you," he threatened casually.

She shut her mouth but growled in frustration. "You are _so_ not fair!"

"Life's not fair," he shrugged and turned the page in his book.

"That'll take me all night to finish!" she whined and folded her arms over her chest with a pout.

"Then you better get on it," he opened his pocket watch. "It's eleven as of now meaning you have thirteen hours to get it done."

She growled in response with her irritation and slammed her bedroom door upon entering. Ebony glanced up for the first time since the argument started. "That went well."

"I thought so too," he agreed. "She reminds me of you when you were younger with your sniveling over having to do the work I gave you."

"Uh huh, minus the theatrics," Ebony nodded. "And the fact I was thirteen then, not twenty…you're not worried about all this though?"

"I never said I wasn't worried…but with the Head Master gone and Umbridge as a replacement…I'd expect you to be extra careful," he warned her, eyes meeting hers. "No running off to save Potter at every turn…leave that to Chelly for once…she can be undetected and found out…you can't risk it."

With a heavy helpless sigh Ebony stared back into the fire. For once in her life she was useless, unable to help her friends in any way. She only hoped she got the chance to make up for it down the line.

**MEETING GWAP**

_I Will Not Participate in Groups Against the Ministry. _Chelly bit her lip as she felt the words once again rip into the back of her right hand. She thought she'd be used to it by now seeing as it was her fourth set in her growing collection. But it still freakin hurt like a bitch. She glared across the room at Umbridge, who sat pink and happy sipping her tea from her throne like chair. She heard Luis hiss in pain and mutter a string of curses about the woman from his seat next to her. Her cousin Luna winced visibly as she scrawled the words and Chelly wished the most painful death on Umbridge for this.

Fifteen minutes later it was over leaving it to take a total of forty five for the words to sink in. She slung her purse over her shoulder as she exited the room with Luis, Luna, Oliver, and Ginny in stride.

"I can't believe she has the nerve to show her face," Ginny mumbled next to her as they left the Great Hall.

Chelly looked up to see Cho standing there. "Dumb bitch," she muttered and shouldered the girl as she passed her. Ginny gave her the same treatment and Luis wasn't one to miss an opportunity to be a diva or bully someone who had it coming.

"What's your next class?" Chelly asked Luna.

"Runes," Luna said. "It's quite fun."

"Fun is not how I describe it," Ginny sighed as she had class with the blonde girl.

"What about you?" she asked Luis.

"Off period," Luis shrugged and adjusted his dark blue sweater.

"What do you say we hang out with Harry then?"

"Sounds good," he shrugged and they parted ways from the other girls and hurried to catch up with Harry, Hermione and Ron as they crossed the bridge.

"You did everything you could," Ron was telling Harry as they caught up. "No one can win against that old hag."

"Tell me about it," Chelly snorted and pulled out a round of gauze from her purse that she found herself forced to carry nowadays. "I'm out of skin now…I think next time it'll take it from my forearms."

"That sounds painful," Ron winced at the thought and stared at his own hand.

"Even Dumbledore didn't see this coming," Hermione said. "Harry, if it's anyone's fault its ours."

Chelly raised an eyebrow at the girl, always quick to bring everybody into it, but never one to just blame herself for a change. "Again…she doesn't speak for me."

"Or me," Luis added.

"Yeah, we talked you into it," Ron said with a nod.

Chelly rolled her eyes. "Agreeing with your girlfriend."

"Well…you did talk him into it," Luis nodded. "He has a point."

Chelly kicked his shin, causing him to wince and rub at the spot. "Shut up."

"Yea, but I agreed," Harry sighed and leaned against the railing. "I tried so hard to help and all I did was make things worse…it doesn't matter anymore because I don't want to play anymore. All it does is make you care too much. The more you care the more you have to lose. So maybe it's just better to…"

"To what?" Chelly asked intrigued by this. She placed one hand on the railing, leaning on it. "To give in. To surrender. To let _her _win. To let Voldermort win. Yeah, great game plan, Harry. While you're at it why don't you just walk straight to Voldermort and hand him your wand? Make it easier on the guy to get rid of you. Because this war is going to be anything but easy. That much is true. It'll be hard and exhausting and people will get hurt and people will die. People that we don't want to die, people we care for…they'll die…it's a given. And I'm sorry but it's too late for you to say you'll stop caring because you won't and you can stop fighting if you want but it won't stop _anyone_ from dying. We've already been pulled into this and not by you but by our own free will. Because we care…we care for you and we care to win this so no one else has to die so our kids can live in a safe world free of the Dark Lord and the pink bitch while we're at it. But I, for one, won't stop fighting as a member of the Order and as a friend because I won't let Cedric down…he saved me last year and I never got to return the favor," she said, her voice full of her emotion as she became angry. "This is the only way I can repay him…by fighting with everything I got because I _care_. I care for you, I care for Ron, I care for Luis, hell I even care for Hermione. I fight for my friends…who do you care to fight for Harry?"

He was silent and she was hoping her words were sinking in. He took a deep breath about to answer when they heard a "psst" coming from the other end of the bridge. Hagrid peaked around the corner and motioned them to follow him. With a glance around at everyone in agreement they followed the half giant down into the Forbidden Forest much to the displeasure of Luis and Ron. Luis mainly over getting dirt on his brand new shoes. Chelly hoped to make it a point not to fall down and dirty her new jeans. She had the worst luck in this forest.

"Does anyone have an idea of where we're going?" Luis asked as he went down a slope, careful to not fall.

"None," Ron shrugged, stepping over a large tree root.

"Hagrid, why can't you just tell us?" Harry asked him.

They heard horses and saw a large fleet of centaurs run just up ahead of them in a frenzy, calling out to each other as they galloped away towards the left.

"I've never seen the centaurs so riled," Hagrid spoke in disbelief. "And they're dangerous at the best of times."

"Then why are we out here?" Luis asked, voice in a high pitch of fear.

"The Ministry restricts their territory anymore they're gonna have a full uprising on their hands," Hagrid said sternly.

"Oh good, they'll start by killing us and hanging us from the trees by our feet to beat us with sticks!" Luis exaggerated.

"Calm down drama queen," Chelly scolded.

"Hagrid, what's going on?" Hermione inquired.

"I'm sorry to be so mysterious, you five," Hagrid apologized. "I wouldn't be bothering you at all with it but…with Dumbledore gone…I'll likely be getting the sack any day now and I just couldn't leave without telling someone about him."

"Who?" Chelly asked and heard footsteps approaching hard enough to shake the ground.

"Grawpy," Hagrid called out and the tall bulky giant came closer. "Down here you great buffoon…I brought you some company."

He seemed to notice them now and smiled, running towards them.

"Oh shit," Chelly muttered and bolted past her friends. She didn't want to be giant food. Luckily he had a rope tied around his waist that stopped him from going much further. Luis clung to Ron's shoulder and Chelly's arm, squeezing himself between them while Chelly clutched at Harry and Hermione at Ron. She'd usually make a joke but with a twenty-five foot giant in front of them, it kind of killed the moment and only caused her to pant in fear.

"I couldn't just leave him," Hagrid explained and moved around to stand next to them, not seeming to mind the giant just charged at them. "Because he's my brother. Well half brother really. He's completely harmless just like I said. A little high spirited is all," he added as Grawp bent down to look at them, causing Luis to move closer to Ron and Chelly. Grawp reached with both hands at them. Chelly gasped and jumped back, shoving Luis forward on instinct.

The Ravenclaw didn't expect that and neither did Hermione as Grawp grabbed her in one hand and reached for Luis with the other. He tried to jump back and almost made it out of his reach but Grawp caught his leg. Luis screamed as loud as Hermione as he was dangled upside down by the giant.

"Put me down! Put me down! Oh God!" Luis shrieked as he was swung around and lifted up so Grawp could look at him. "Put me down, King Kong!"

"Grawpy that is not polite!" Hagrid scolded him.

"Hagrid, do something!" Ron demanded in a panic. Chelly clung to Harry's arm as she stared up at Luis.

"It's okay, Luis," she reassured him. "You're okay."

"This is _NOT _okay!" he yelled in a frantic scream.

"Least it's not centaurs dangling you by your feet," she called back.

"You are NOT helping!" he let out a scream as Grawp once again swung him up.

"We talked about this," Hagrid told his brother while Ron grabbed a large stick. "You do not grab, do you? Those are your new friends Hermione and Luis."

Ron hit the giant in the shin with the stick only succeeding in breaking it in half. Grawp nudged him back with his foot and he skittered back landing on his rear next to Chelly. "Sure, you try and save your girlfriend huh?"

"Hermione is not my girlfriend," he told her and got to his feet.

She wiggled her eyebrows. "Who said I was talking bout Hermione?"

He shook his head at her. "You're horrible, you know that?"

"Grawp!" Hermione said sternly and pointed a finger at him. "Put us down!"

He stared at her for a moment then looked at the dangling Luis who did his best to look intimidating with his arms folded over his chest…it didn't so much have the effect from upside down. "Put us down now!"

Grawp sighed and put them both down on the ground carefully. Luis, of course, landed on his head, but scrambled to his feet to stand next to Chelly.

"You shoved me forward," he hissed and brushed off his jeans.

"Sorry, it was a reaction," she apologized.

Hermione backed up next to Ron. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"I am too, Ron," Luis rolled his eyes. "Thanks for asking."

"I think you two have got an admirer," Harry said and stared up at Grawp who was digging through his belongings near the tree.

"Not the admirer I had in mind," Luis murmured to himself.

Grawp came gambling over with heavy footsteps carrying handles to a bicycle. He flicked the bell causing it to chime and repeated the action before holding it out for Hermione to take. She took the handles and with a wary smile flicked the bell and handed in back to Grawp who held it to Luis. Luis took it, hands shaking slightly. He rang the bell and gave it back to the giant who grinned and continued flicking the bell.

"He can get his own food," Hagrid said. "It's company he'll be needing when I'm gone. You will look after him won't you? I'm the only family he's got."

"Yeah, Hagrid…we'll look after him," Hermione nodded.

Chelly sighed. "She speaks for all of us…for once."

Harry nodded his agreement and looked at his watch…it was nearly time for his Occlumency lessons. He'd been dreading this since school restarted…

**OCCLUMENCY **

Ebony could see a young Harry looking into the Mirror of Erised. She remembered that day, unbeknown to him she had been in the room when he had found the mirror. It was such a sad memory. She pulled herself out of his mind, knowing her father wouldn't be doing the same. He'd prowl through Harry's memories. She blinked a few times and leaned against the desk, arms folded over her chest over her black hoodie. She hardly wore her cloak anymore, no need since she wasn't sneaking around the corridors much this year and it would only get in her way.

Harry was gasping, covered in sweat from where he sat in the chair across the way from the two of them as Snape removed himself from Harry's mind. "That's private," he panted, speaking of the memory they had invaded.

"Not to me," Snape mused, irritated by the fact Potter just wasn't getting this. "And not to the Dark Lord if you don't improve." He moved in closer to Harry, towering over the boy. "Every memory he has access to is a weapon he can use against you, you won't last two seconds if he invades your mind."

Harry's only response was to glare up at him.

Snape shook his head, backing away. "You're just like your father…lazy…arrogant."

Harry bolted up from his chair in defense and Ebony took a deep breath, knowing the show was about to start between them now and she'd be caught up in the middle. "Don't say a word against my father."

"Weak," Snape added.

"I'm not weak!"

"Then prove it!" Snape demanded, dark eyes set on him. "Control your emotions. Discipline your mind." He pointed his wand at Harry and once again went through his mind. Ebony just sat back. It was all she could do through this. As much as Harry hated it, it was for his own good in the end. She couldn't jump in and save him from it. Not this time around.

"Stop it," Harry panted with a shake of his head.

"Is this what you call control?" he asked the fifth year.

"We've been at it for hours. If I could just rest," Harry paced around to the side where Ebony stood at the desk.

Snape moved towards him quickly, trapping Harry partially in fear and intimidation against the desk right next to her. "The Dark Lord isn't resting. You and Black are two of a kind…sentimental children always whining about how bitterly unfair your lives have been."

Ebony glanced up at her dad but saw no point in arguing over his feelings towards Black. She had seen what he had done, how Black had nearly gotten Snape killed back in their school days. She wondered who would have taken care of her if he had succeeded. The thought sent a cold shiver down her spine and she pressed the memory of the boggart she had faced two years ago from her mind.

Snape continued on. "Well, it may have escaped your notice, but life isn't fair. Your blessed father knew that in fact he frequently sought it."

Harry stood up to him. "My father was a great man."

Ebony winced at the other memory of her father's…where James had done nothing but torment him. Snape grabbed Harry's shoulder roughly and spun him around, shoving him back to the chair. "Your father was a swag."

They both drew their wands at the same time with the same Legilimens spell and Ebony was too slow to move as she pushed away from the desk, too slow to counter each spell with her ring, all she could was shout. "No!"

It was too late and as she feared the spell hit Snape first, she saw him recoil with it, no time to block his mind from Harry invading it. She gasped, frozen to the spot and brought a hand to her mouth knowing how upset he had been when she had seen those images…there was no telling how upset he would be with Harry seeing his most private thoughts. She only hoped he was able to stop Harry from seeing the memory where Sirius had lured Snape outside one night and straight under the Whomping Willow where Black knew Lupin was in full fledged werewolf form, eagerly hoping to watch his friend kill the Slytherin. But James had stopped Snape, saved him even and rung Sirius out for even thinking the idea. She prayed Harry wouldn't see that for fear of him thinking less of Black.

"Enough," Snape growled in a cold whisper and Harry fell back into his seat. "Enough."

Snape crossed the room and grabbed Harry roughly by the front of his short. Ebony took a step forward, ready to intervene as Harry panted in fear. "Your lessons are at an end…get out."

He released Harry and the boy took his word heading for the door. Ebony was unsure of where to go. She wanted to stay with her father who was obviously upset over Harry seeing his memories, but she also wanted to go to Harry who needed her to explain it just as much.

"Dad…" she said timidly.

"Go, Ebony," he said but it sounded less harsh than he had spoken to Harry. He looked over his shoulder at her and at the door Harry had gone out of. "You can go…"

"But…"

"I'll be fine…go."

She nodded her head and hurried out the door to catch Harry in the corridor, leaning against a pillar and breathing heavily.

"Harry…" Ebony said his name as she approached and he looked up at her.

She saw his eyes were filled with confusion as they should be. He just saw that his father wasn't the great man he heard of. That there as a meaner side to him. "He was mean…he was a bully."

Ebony nodded her head. "I know…I saw too…awhile ago…you shouldn't have done that."

"Why not? He was my father! I have a right to know these things," Harry argued angrily and ran his fingers through his hair. "He was mean to my mum even, Ebony. He was like Draco almost."

"No one is as evil as Draco," she snorted, trying to make light of the situation.

"How could he be mean to her when he loved her?"

"I don't know," she shook her head.

"He was…no wonder Snape hated him," Harry shook his head in disarray. "No wonder he hates me…I can't understand how he doesn't hate you…Sirius was teasing him too…he hates Sirius but…I don't understand."

"He's never been cruel to me, Harry. Never. Not since he took me in all those years ago. He's been nothing but a father to me," she pressed the issue that always seemed to arise between them.

"I don't understand. How can he love anybody with the way he is?"

She took a deep breath. "Look into my mind."

"What?"

"You heard me, look into my mind. I'll show you."

Harry was hesitant as he took out his wand.

"Go ahead."

He pointed it at her. "Legilimens."

Ebony felt the rush of her own memories as Harry pressed into her mind. She saw him stop in on one. Just after Sirius Black had broken into the castle and Snape had coming running to find her. She had caused Sirius to flee after he tried to attack Snape and now she stood panting in the hallway. Her father's hand touched her shoulder in worry and concern.

"Ebony…are you all right?"

She saw her past self nod her head, still panting.

"You're shaking."

She nodded again.

His arm circled her shoulders. "He's gone…let's get you back inside. Get you something to calm your nerves."

"I'm fine," she finally managed once they were down the hallway.

"I think you need to rest."

"I'm fine," she said more strictly. "Please, don't worry about me."

"I'm your father, it's what I do,"

The memories spun forth again and stopped almost as quickly. It took Ebony a moment to realize what she was seeing. It was Christmas when she was sixteen and her father had given her the ring for the first time. She saw the joy on her face as she flung herself at him, hugging him and he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, Dad."

She saw the relieved look on Snape yet the pained expression of having to say the words because he did mean it. "I love you too, Ebony."

Again the memories spun in a swirl of color til they stopped on the Yule Ball where she was dancing with her father. It had to be her most cherished memory in her Pensive so far. The only one she had of her and her father dancing, least until she got married.

"Never change," she heard herself say with a smile.

"I don't plan to," he said. "I'm just trying to accommodate to you growing up…you're not the same little girl you used to be."

"I'll always be your little girl."

He smiled a little. "Nothing will change that."

The memories changed slides again until it stopped one last time on Snape talking to Ebony just after Cedric died. "But the loss of a child…has to be more unbearable than that of a loved one…to lose someone you've had in your life and loved for that long…" he closed his eyes. "I never feared the thought of it until last night. I never thought of losing you in all of this and I begged Dumbledore not to bring you into it…but as he said, it is your choice…and you choose to help…it doesn't mean I worry for you any less. It doesn't mean I am not afraid and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."

Ebony felt Harry retract from her memories and blinked a few times until she was once again in the corridor outside with Harry leaning against the railing for support. He stared at the floor and Ebony knew he was trying to gather through everything he just saw. It was overwhelming the first few times ne did it on another. The after effects took time to settle through.

"I told you," she said. "He's not such a bad guy."

Before Harry could say anything they heard someone crying and both looked down the hall to see Fred and George comforting a younger student who had just gone through a detention session. They stepped closer to the twins as they showed the poor boy their scars.

"It's gonna be all right," Fred told him.

"It's not as bad as it seems," George said and held out his hand for the boy to see his two scars. "See, it's fading already. You can hardly see ours anymore."

"And the pain stops after awhile," Fred added.

Ebony kneeled down next to where George sat and showed the boy her own scar. "I have one too…My friend Chelly, she has four of them…it gets better."

The little boy sniffled. "What did you get in trouble for? You're not a student."

Ebony smiled with a blush and glanced at George who returned the smile and patted her shoulder. "I got caught breaking a rule. Teacher aides are no exception to the rules."

Umbridge cleared her throat and Ebony stood to her feet simultaneously with Fred and George, Harry standing alongside them as her Pinkness stood in the entryway. "As I told you once before, Mr. Potter. Naughty children deserved to punished."

Ebony's eyes flew to George and as she expected she saw him biting his lip, trying not to say something while his eyes twinkled with the force to contain himself. With a keen smile, Umbridge left the hallway.

"You know George," Fred said, putting his hands in his pockets. "I always felt our futures lay outside the world of academic achievement."

"Fred, I've been thinking exactly the same thing," George grinned.

"Uh oh," Ebony said but smiled up at him. "What are you thinking?"

"It's bad."

"But good," Fred added.

"Bad but very good. In fact it's so bad it is good."

"Do I even want to know?" Harry asked.

"Best not spoil the surprise," Fred clapped Harry on the shoulder. "We got work to do."

Harry took that as his cue to leave and walked the younger boy back to his common room.

Ebony grabbed George's hand and addressed his twin. "Fred, can I at least say good-bye to your brother seeing as how I have a feeling this will be your last night here."

"Go ahead. See each other off," he smiled knowingly with a nod. "I'll be in the room waiting for you, Georgie. Try not to keep him out too late."

"I won't. I have my own room to be getting back to," she promised and led George down the hall in the opposite direction.

"So what are you planning?"

"You'll see tomorrow," he grinned and put his arm around her.

She frowned at him. "Isn't there a rule carved into our hands about this?"

"Yeah, but as you said, I won't be here after tomorrow so the rules don't apply to me."

She shook her head and chuckled. "So what of this tomorrow," she leaned against the wall in the inside corridor, stopping George from walking any further.

"Let's just say its going to end with fireworks."

"Really?"

He grinned at her. "It's a long time coming to that old hag. Just be outside the Great Hall with Chelly around noon…you'll see."

The wall behind her shifted and she grinned as a door appeared. "Was it you or me who brought this up?"

"No idea, but it'd be rude not to use it," he sighed and opened the door for her to go in, not surprised at all that the Room of Requirement showed up. The door disappeared behind them. She surveyed the room. Fireplace and a comfortable looking bed.

"Nice…least there's no pinball machine this time or arcade games," she snorted.

"I wanted to play video games that day. I'm sorry," he apologized again and put his arms around her waist.

"You know, I wonder if there's more than one of these rooms cuz I know Chelly's been missing for awhile with Oliver."

"She lose an earring again?"

"I think so…it'll be weird next year with you not here," she admitted out loud, saddened by the fact. He'd have been gone either way but now she was out of a couple of the remaining months.

"I'll be in Hogsmeade. That's walking distance from here," he reminded her and turned her around to kiss her.

She leaned her head on his chest. "I know…least you won't be a student anymore…I won't feel so corrupt."

"I'll miss that," he sighed. "Almost made it deviant. You being older."

"Three years, George," she growled at him. "Don't be mean."

He smiled and walked her backwards to the bed, the back of her knees came to the edge and she had no choice but to sit as George moved next to her. "That reminds me," he grinned. "You heard what Umbridge said? That naughty children need to be punished."

She laughed. "I was waiting for you to get to that."

He kissed her again. "And tomorrow our plan is _bad_."

She laughed again unable to help herself. "And you need to be punished?"

"Uh huh," he kissed her neck and she nodded her head.

"Okay…I agree," she pulled him away and ran her fingers through his hair, trailing her nails down his cheek. He smiled in waiting.

She stood up from the bed and readjusted her hoodie. George stared at her in puzzlement. "Wait…what are you doing?"

"Punishing you," she shrugged and headed for the door.

He sat up on the bed. "But I'm over here."

"I see that and I'm going to my room."

"But…but you were going to punish me."

"And I am," she smiled. "You're punishment is no sex."

He gapped at her, jaw dropping and his eyes narrowed. "Oh that's just plain evil."

"I am a Slytherin," she reminded him and gave him one last kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow…go fulfill your plan with your brother. Good night."

She grinned as she left the room walking down the hall to the stairs back to her chambers, laughing to herself all the way.


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: I own the same people as usual. No more until later books_

_Once again a huge thank you to Rock Royalty for being a dedicated reader!! I hope I don't disappoint._

* * *

**FIREWORKS BEGIN**

Chelly glanced at her watch and peered up and down the empty corridor. She was standing outside the closed doors of the Great Hall. Luis was inside those double doors with Luna, Harry and the rest of them taking their OWLs in different crossed of sections divided by year. Ebony was unable to tag along. All she told Chelly when she woke up this morning was to be outside the Great Hall around noon.

So she dragged herself out of bed and changed into her new Aero denim jeans that were a deep heavy blue and fit perfectly for a change and put her white zip up sweater on over her burgundy camisole top. She left her hair down and pulled a few strands back to keep it out of her face and tucked her wand into her back pocket. For good measure she pocketed a couple vials of her confusion potions and then slipped on her white Vans. Of course she wasn't going to sit out there alone since Ebony was stuck grading papers and Luis and Luna were taking the test. She stopped by Oliver's room and dragged him with her. He sat next to her on the stairs across from the Great Hall doors in his jeans and red hoodie, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, his hair still tousled from being pulled from sleep with no time to do anything but brush his teeth and pull his jeans and hoodie on.

He leaned his head on his drawn up knees turned towards her. "Tell me why I'm sitting out here instead of in bed sleeping on my day off?"

"Because Ebony said something was going to happen around noon just outside these doors that we didn't want to miss," she told him.

"Can you be anymore vague?"

"That's all she told me," she shrugged her shoulders and peered once again in every direction outside the hall.

"Can she be any more vague?"

"That's all Fred and George told her."

"Can they be anymore vague?"

She gave him a sideways look. "It's Fred and George, dear. When have you ever known them to disappoint."

He thought about it and nodded his head, stretching to pop his back. "Good point."

There was a booming noise in the distance and both he and Chelly jumped to their feet, timidly moving down the stairs to peer down the corridor. "What was that?"

Chelly shook her head, jumping as it happened again, closer this time. "Not sure…but I can take a really good guess as to who is it."

The booming came faster now and the double doors opened as Umbridge peered out. A small swirling ball floated in front of her before zooming into the Great Hall and exploding into a colorful firework just as Fred and George rounded the corner on their brooms, hollering and grinning the entire time setting off more of their fireworks into the hall. It caused a great reaction as the students joined in on the laughing and hysterics, throwing their tests away. George tossed the last one into the air and it exploded into a great dragon that flew straight at Umbridge.

Chelly nearly fell over in laughter watching the pink ball trying to out run the dragon. It exploded just outside the hall and blew into other fireworks that broke every rule on the wall and sent them crashing to the floor in a sputter of glass. Fred and George flew out right above her and out the doors leading outside. Chelly and Oliver ran out followed by all the other students that cheered them on as they set off more fireworks, one taking the form of a huge sparkling W. Chelly whistled and glanced at Oliver. "Told you it wouldn't be a disappointment."

She frowned as her smile fell at the sight of Harry's face. He was staring off at nothing and winced suddenly, grabbing his head. Chelly pushed past Oliver just as Harry fell to his knees. "Harry, are you okay?" she touched his shoulder and gasped as she got her own flash of a vision. She saw Sirius standing in front of Ebony and Harry and the confused look on their faces as Sirius fell back through a shimmering archway. The scene faded from her eyes and she felt Oliver's hand on her shoulder, Hermione and Ron suddenly crowded around them.

"Sirius," was all Harry said as he moved to his feet, hurrying inside. Chelly, Oliver, Ron and Hermione followed after him, pushing their way through the crowds back inside where they hurried up the revolving staircase.

"Harry, are you sure?" Hermione asked.

"I saw it!" Harry nodded. "It's just like with Mr. Weasley. It's the same door I've been dreaming about for months only I couldn't remember where I've seen it before. Sirius says Voldermort was after something. Something he didn't have the last time and it's in the Department of Mysteries."

"Harry, please just listen," Hermione begged and stopped on the staircase. "What if Voldermort meant for you to see that? What if he's only hurting Sirius because he's trying to get to you?"

"What if he is?" Harry said desperately. "I'm supposed to just let him die? He's the only family I got left?"

"What about Ebony?" Oliver asked and looked at Chelly then at Harry. "Shouldn't she know?"

"No," Chelly said and bit at her nails thinking back to her vision. Ebony was in it. Maybe if Ebony wasn't there whatever was supposed to happen wouldn't. "No, we don't have time. She shouldn't get involved. She has too much to lose if she gets caught. Besides, the vision I saw was different from Harry's. I saw an archway…not a door."

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.

She rolled her eyes at the girl in exasperation. "I know the difference between an archway and a door."

"What do we do?" Ron asked.

"We'll have to use the Floo network," Harry and took off up the stairs again.

"But Umbridge has them all under surveillance," Hermione told him.

"And she just had ours blocked last week," Chelly added on.

"Not all of them," Harry said with enough hope they followed him down the hall and into the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Harry took the stairs leading to Umbridge's office two at a time and Chelly reluctantly followed.

"Harry, what are you doing?"

"Alohomara," he pointed his wand at the door and it unlocked. He pushed it open and stepped inside.

"Why are we in Umbridge's office?" Oliver asked and stared at all the cat plates on the wall.

"Alert the Order if you can," Harry told Chelly as the fire turned green in the hearth and he kneeled down next to it.

She frowned down at him. "I can't alert the Order if I'm with you."

"You're not."

"Are you mental?" Ron asked him. "We're going with you."

"It's too dangerous."

"When are you going to get it in your head," Hermione said to him. "We're in this together."

"That you are," Umbridge said from behind them and they all spun around to see her charcoal smeared face standing in the doorway.

"Uh oh," Chelly mumbled and backed up as her officers of students flanked into the room.

Draco entered, pushing Neville in front of him while Goyle shoved Luis in ahead. "Caught these two trying to help the Weasley and Looney girl."

Umbridge nodded and turned to Harry who she had sitting in a chair by her desk. She leaned forward with a smile. "You were going to Dumbledore weren't you?"

"No," he said and Umbridge lashed her hand out, slapping Harry across the face. "Liar."

"You stupid pink bitch!" Chelly exclaimed, unable to hold back her anger towards the vile woman any longer. The goon holding her held tighter at her out cry and Oliver's eyes widened at her unlike Luis who smirked. Umbridge looked at her in utter shock.

"What did you just say to me?"

"You heard me," she seethed. "But I'm be glad to repeat it again, you stupid pink bitch."

Umbridge had taken the few steps towards her and Chelly didn't so much as flinch. She smiled at Chelly and slapped her across the face. Her head twisted with the blow but she held her tongue from making any noise. She turned her face back to Umbridge. "You even slap like a bitch." Umbridge hit her again and Chelly chuckled as she saw Snape and Ebony standing in the doorway.

"You sent for me," Snape said through gritted teeth having seen the Professor slap Chelly.

Umbridge turned around to address him, not noticing the puzzled look on Ebony's face. "Snape, yes, the time has come for answers whether they want to give them to me or not. Have you brought the Veritaserum?"

"I'm afraid you've used up all my stores in interrogating students. You used the last of it on Ms. Cho," Snape explained in detail on purpose. Ebony gave him points for that. Harry turned his head to look at Hermione and Ginny who looked surprised and guilty for the way they had treated her. Chelly hung her head lower, knowing she was just as guilty for giving Cho the cold shoulder when all along she had been tricked into giving them away.

Snape glanced at Harry then back at Umbridge. "Unless you wish to poison him and I could assure you I would have the greatest sympathy if you did."

Ebony cleared her throat at that remark, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at him.

"Is there something you wish to say?" Umbridge asked her.

She smiled coldly. "Not at all…Chelly seemed to have said everything I could think of."

Snape nudged her with his elbow and she took that as their cue to leave before she could insult the Head Mistress any further. He brought his attention to Umbridge once more. "I cannot help you."

"He's got Padfoot," Harry said and Ebony stared at him in disbelief even her father froze with his back turned. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden."

Voldermort had Sirius. Ebony had to remind herself to breathe and turned her face away, unable to hide the emotion Umbridge would surely see on her face. She could feel Snape look at her, assessing her even.

"Padfoot? What is Padfoot? What is it and what is he talking about, Snape?"

He turned to look at Harry with what was almost concern in his dark eyes and then looked at Umbridge with a shake of his head. "No idea." He left the room then with his hand on Ebony's shoulder. She was still staring off in shock as they entered the hall just outside the classroom door.

Snape stopped her from walking any further, pulling her to a stop. "Ebony…you need to snap out of this, you are of no use to them if you let this get in your way."

She blinked up at him. "He has Sirius…at the Ministry…in the Department of Mysteries."

"I know that. I was able to decode it," he took a deep breath and winced slightly at the thought of what had to be done. As much as he hated to let her go, to let her help, he had no choice. He had cooped her up and kept her in the chambers all year, not letting her do a single thing to help her friends…but it was personal for her now. It was something she had to do. "I will alert the Order…you will follow Potter and the others seeing as how I doubt they'll stay out of it."

Ebony frowned. "I'm not supposed to help though."

"Consider it revoked, you do what has to be done. You are a member of the Order, it's your job…and as much as I hate it…Padfoot is part of your life. Go with them," he told her and hesitated for a brief second before hugging her. "And for Heaven's sake be careful."

She nodded and pulled away from him as she heard footsteps coming from the classroom. "I'll be back as soon as I can." They both moved to opposite ends of the hall. Ebony to hide around the corner and Snape to head towards the staircases and alert the Order…then to pray that nothing happened to Ebony.

Ebony waited until she heard the footsteps disappearing and peeked to see Umbridge with her wand out leading Harry, Hermione and Chelly out the doors to the corridor that led outside towards the Forest. That meant the others were still in the room and needed rescuing…and it was only a few dimwitted Slytherin.

Ebony smiled and pulled out her wand. "Accio Super Fainting Fancies." Her stash of the boxed candies came flying from around the corner, summoned from George's room. She grabbed the box out of the air, relieved that it looked like an ordinary box of candy and put her wand away. She reentered the classroom and went up the stairs into the office.

"What are you doing here?" Draco sneered towards her, wand still on Neville.

"Just thought you guys would like some candy," she said innocently and set the box on the desk. Immediately Crabbe and Goyle stared at it and she saw two of the others glance at it as well. "I decide to be polite for a change. I figured I owed it to you, Draco, after I was so rude the other day. And then not spending the summer with you," she shrugged modestly with a smile. "I felt I owed you something."

"Not the something I had in mind," he smirked and Ebony's hand balled up on the desk but she kept the smile on her face. "But it'll do for now."

She opened the box and pushed them forward. "Help yourselves, the others aren't going anywhere."

Goyle and Crabbed were first to the box, stuffing their mouths full. Two of the other Slytherins managed to get one and Draco took two.

"These aren't half bad," Draco chomped on them with a pleased grin. "Where'd you get them?"

"From a reliable source," she smiled and stepped around the desk in front of Malfoy, running her fingers through his blonde hair causing him to grin more as he swallowed the candy. Luis looked about ready to hurl at the sight and even Oliver scowled. "And because you won't remember any of this when you wake up…" She swung her hand back and hit Malfoy straight in the face. The candy along with the punch seemed to take effect and he dropped unconscious to the floor. Crabbe and Goyle couldn't do a thing to help. They had slumped to the floor already sound asleep and the other two Slytherins seemed to pass out as well.

Ebony nodded, wiping her hands together as she surveyed her handiwork. "It's safe to say that worked."

"Oh thank God you were just acting," Luis sighed in relief and stepped on Draco as he passed over, using the boys stomach as a footstool to cross. "Because I was about to throw up."

"Give me a break, Luis. Like I'd ever go out with Malfoy…and will you stop kicking him."

Luis was absent mindedly kicking Malfoy's leg with his foot. He stopped, foot drawn back. "He can't really feel it though…and he's not gonna remember any of this later anyway."

"What did you give them?" Ginny asked changing the subject as she stared at the unconscious so called guards.

"Super Fainting Fancies," she answered and gestured at the empty box. "You're brother gave them to me for Christmas. I left them in his room in case Chelly thought they were regular sweets. They cause you to pass out for hours and erase your memory of the fifteen minutes leading up to ingesting them."

"Quite genius," Luna nodded her head.

"Where did Umbridge take Chelly and the others?"

"To the Forbidden Forest," Neville answered. "She thinks they know where the secret weapon is."

"What secret weapon?"

"There isn't one," Oliver told her. "They just said there was because Umbridge was going to Cruccio Harry into telling her of everything."

Her eyes widened in anger. "That bitch…"

"We should help them," Neville added.

"Knowing Chelly they have her handled," Ebony said. "We just need to find them and go to the Ministry to stop all this and Luis will you quit kicking him already?"

Luis put his foot back on the ground and rocked back and forth on his heels with a grin straightening his black sweater out, the gray stripes visible on the inside of it. "Sorry…hey why don't we put them in awkward sexual positions?"

"No," she said and gestured at the door. "Let's go."

He pouted, head hung down. "You're no fun."

Ebony stared around the pink office and pulled out her wand. "You know…I really hate pink…Darcsteto." The pink seemed to fade from the walls, replaced and painted over black. The cat plates started meowing louder at the bright colors disappearing. "And there's something I wanted to do since I entered this office. Blasteo," the cat plates shattered to the floor breaking into pieces around the unconscious Slytherins. Satisfied she tucked her wand away and led the way down the stairs the others following with shocked smiles, she didn't notice Luis do a quick levitation spell to set Draco on top of Goyle where he lay passed out on his stomach, he dropped Malfoy's pants enough his Hello Kitty boxers showed. That caused Luis to laugh enough and he wished he had a camera but the mental image would last forever. With a satisfied smile he tucked his wand into his back pocket and hurried to catch up with the others.

* * *

**SECRET WEAPON (sets back to Snape and Ebony leaving)**

Chelly watched Ebony and Snape exit the room. Umbridge seemed peeved that Snape was of no use to her and she nodded her head turning to her desk. "Very well…you give me no choice, Potter. As this is an issue of Ministry security you leave me with…no alternative…the Cruciatus Curse should loosen your tongue."

"You can't do that!" Chelly exclaimed and was pulled tighter by the goon holding her.

"That's illegal," Hermione added on panicked by the idea.

Umbridge folded the framed picture of Fudge on her desk down. "What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him," she picked up her wand pointing it at a panicked Harry. She opened her mouth to say the words but Hermione interjected.

"Tell her, Harry!"

Umbridge turned to the scared girl. "Tell me what?"

Chelly caught on to the idea. "Just tell her where we hid it."

"Hid what?"

"If you won't tell her where it is I will," Hermione said.

"Where what is?" Umbridge asked losing her patience.

"Dumbledore's secret weapon," Chelly answered and closed her eyes as if in defeat to Umbridge when she was mentally kicking herself for digging them into a hole she had no idea how they could get out of.

Umbridge grinned. "Take me to it," she grabbed Harry up out of the chair. "The three of you are coming with me," she pointed her wand over at Hermione and Chelly. "Now, let's go."

Chelly, Hermione, and Harry left the office, Umbridge right behind them with her wand drawn as they marched out the doors into the Forbidden Forest. Chelly was hoping Hermione had a plan to get them out of this one. She had no idea where to go to fix this.

"How much further?" Umbridge asked stumbling along the way in her high heels.

"Not far," Hermione answered and gazed around at the dark trees in the damply lit area. "It had to be put somewhere students wouldn't find it accidentally.

Harry moved up closer to Hermione and Chelly. "What are you doing?"

"No idea," Chelly whispered back. "Any idea, Hermione?"

"Improvising," she answered in a hushed tone.

They stopped just short of the tree where Grawp was usually tied but felt their hearts sink at the sight of the broken rope. He had gotten away. And the forest was enormous, there was no telling where he could have run off to with Hagrid gone.

"Well…" Umbridge said as they came to a stop at the tree. "Where is this weapon?"

The three stared at each other, Chelly shifted her weight from one foot to the other biting at her nails. Plan A had fizzled to a dead end and there was no time to discuss a Plan B.

"There isn't one is there?" Umbridge circled them, wand in her hand. Hermione and Chelly backed up next to Harry to stand on either side of him. "You were trying to trick me. You know…I really hate children."

"What a coincidence because we really hate you," Chelly replied.

There was a snapping of branches and the sound of galloping as a herd of centaur appeared just over the brink in front of them. Umbridge slowly moved behind the three using them as shield as she scolded them. "You have no business being here, centaur. This is a Ministry matter," one centaur stepped forward drawing his bow and arrow. Chelly gripped Harry's arm tighter. "Lower your weapons. I warn you," Umbridge demanded. "Under the law if creatures of near human intelligence-"

The centaur let the arrow go and Harry and Chelly ducked though it moved straight past them towards Umbridge who deflected it easily, now more pissed than before. "How dare you, filthy half breed!" She waved her wand and a strand of rope wrapped around the centaur. He cried out, falling down the slope, the rope choking him.

Chelly ran forward, pulling the rope, trying to break it off of him. "Stop it!" she yelled at Umbridge. "You're hurting him." Hermione was on her other side, both pulling at the rope to loosen it from his neck.

"Please!" Hermione pleaded with Umbridge. "Please stop it!"

"No! Enough!" she screamed and emphasized her words. "I will have order!"

Harry looked just behind her at Grawp who had now appeared from behind the trees. He picked Umbridge up by the back of her pink suit jacket and lifted her off the ground. She let out a piercing shriek dangling in the air from the giant's fingers. The centaurs rushed forward and the rope around the one on the floor loosened and he moved to his feet, galloping up to where Grawp held her.

"Filthy animals!" she was yelling. "Do you know who I am?"

The centaurs below her were trying to get Grawp to drop her to them, shooting arrows at him. One landed in his arm and he removed it like it was nothing more than a piece of lint. He dropped Umbridge and the centaurs were quick to grab her. Hermione, Chelly and Harry took the opportunity to run around the other side of the chaos.

"Potter, do something! Tell them I mean no harm," Umbridge begged.

Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry, Professor. But I must not tell lies."

The centaurs dragged her off, galloping away into the distance while she screamed her refusal the entire way.

"Well," Chelly said with a satisfied grin wiping her hands together. "That's one down…one big one to go…"

"Thank you Grawp," Hermione took her time to thank the giant.

"Hermione," Harry grabbed her arm and tugged on Chelly's. "We got to go help Sirius."

The three took off running out of the forest as fast as they could, glad they didn't have to go too far in to begin with. They broke out of it a few minutes later and were across the bridge where they were reunited with the other seven, Ebony leading the way.

"How'd you get away?" Hermione asked them as Ron handed their wands back to their rightful owners.

"Fainting Fancies," Ginny answered. "And Ebony decked Malfoy."

"You did?" Chelly asked with a gasp. "And you didn't wait till I was there to see?"

"She sure did," Luis said with a chuckle. "I left him with a bit of a surprise when he wakes up to…he won't know what hit him…seriously because they erase your memory…its gonna be a dark week for Malfoy."

"Do I even want to know?" Chelly grinned.

He waved a hand at her. "I'll give you the details later."

"So how are we getting to London?" Neville asked.

"Look, it's not that I don't appreciate everything you've done, all of you," Harry addressed them. "But I've gotten you into enough trouble as it is."

"Dumbledore's Army is supposed to be about doing something real or was that all just words to you?" Neville argued as Harry walked past them.

Harry turned around to face the nine staring at him and Oliver spoke up. "Maybe you don't have to do this all by yourself."

"We're your friends, Harry," Ron added on.

Harry took a deep breath and nodded once. "So how are we going to get to London?"

Luna smiled. "We fly of course."

They all stared at her then at Chelly to see if she could decipher it. She held her hands up at them. "She's just my cousin, you guys. I don't think on exactly the same wave length as her."

"How do we do that, Luna Bird?" Luis asked her.

"The Threstals. They can fly us there unseen."

Luis nodded and glanced at Harry. "I'll be damned, she's got a point."

Harry agreed. "Let's go."

The ten hurried off to the end of the bridge and out towards the Threstals meadow hoping each and every single one of them came back alive from this.

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NEW CHAPTER COMING VERY SOON...Question is...will they all come back alive and unhurt??...do I follow plot enough to guarantee it...find out...


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: I own Chelly, Luis, and Ebony and that's it. This part is a little different from the book due to the addition of the three plus Oliver being there now. Just a few slight changes, overall it follows the movie_

_Note: Only because Rock Royalty replied so quickly am I posting another chapter tonight. I have them all loaded til the end of it but I just release them a little at a time...but here's a treat of sorts for Royalty_

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**THRESTAL RIDE**

"Where are we going?" Oliver asked as they walked through the trees. It was less dense than the forest, more light seemed to dwell in this area, but it was a few minutes til they neared the clearing just off the path.

"Almost there," Luis said, knowing the route out of habit from his trips with Luna. They had come across this place in his third year when Luna was a first year and Chelly was across seas in the United States. They were pretty much outcasts and found this place while out for one of Luna's strolls. They followed the sound of the Threstals, Luna more eager than he was. He had thought they were hideous at first, but they tended to grow on him when he found not many could see them at all, that you had to see someone die in order to have the ability to see them at all.

"Here we are," Luna smiled dreamily staring at the clearing of the dark creatures.

"What? There's nothing here?" Ron said and looked around what appeared to them to be an empty field. But Harry, Luna, Ebony and Luis could see the skeleton looking horses clearly.

"Wow…" Ebony said in drawn shock. "They're beautiful."

"What are?" Oliver asked looking around in all directions. "I don't see anything."

"You see them, Ebony?" Harry asked her.

She nodded. "Threstals…I heard of them, but considering I never took the carriages to school I never saw them."

"What the hell…" Chelly squinted her eyes at the area by the tree…it looked like a horse outline, but darker, more skeleton looking. "What is that?"

"What's what?" Neville turned in a circle trying to find what she was seeing.

"You know, when you squint you look more Asian?" Luis teased her, nudging her with his elbow.

She glared at him, to get him to shut up but it seemed to egg him on. "Yeah that doesn't help much either."

She shook her head. "I'm gonna smack you in two seconds."

"No, you're not."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because it's been two seconds," he smiled broadly and she stepped to hit him. Luis flinched and backed up just before Chelly could make contact. Ebony stood in-between them, blocking the blow.

"Save it for later," she pointed towards the tree Chelly had been looking at. "Those are Threstals."

"I don't see anything," Hermione huffed.

"It's cuz we're better than you," Chelly said and stuck out her tongue.

"No," Harry said correcting her. "If you see them it's because you've seen death."

That seemed to quiet them all into an awkward quiet and it was Luna who broke the silence. "I saw my mum die when I was young…Luis was there which is why he can see them as well…they managed to revive her for a short while but found it would be no use, that she was beyond repairing. Chelly was at the hospital when she was taken off life support which is why she can almost see them…and Harry was there with Cedric Diggory."

Neville looked at Ebony. "What about you, Ebony?"

She kept her eyes on the Threstals, unable to even glance at Ron and Ginny. "My mum was a Death Eater…when I was young, before she died, she took me with her when she tortured and killed a couple people…it was horrifying…and the only clear memory I have of her. She was killed after that."

"That's horrible," Hermione gasped, hand to her mouth.

"For the people she killed and their families, yes…I don't feel so bad for my mother. That's beside's the point though, we should be getting out of here."

"Right," Harry nodded and addressed the others. "All right, Luis, Luna, Ebony, Chelly and I are going to help you on to the Threstals since none of you can see them and then one of us will ride with you. Ron, you first."

"Me?" he whined and pointed at himself. "Why me?"

"Because you need help on, you can't see them," Luis explained and stood next to one Threstal, petting its head. It rubbed against his hand, enjoying the attention. "Here, I'll get on first." Luis hooked his leg over the horse creature and sat upon it with ease.

The other's eyes bugged out as they saw Luis sitting on air. "What the bloody hell?" Ron cried out.

"Come on, Ron, you're wasting time," Luis said agitated. It took both Harry and Chelly to help the blubbering boy onto the horse. Once on, he whimpered and grabbed onto Luis for dear life, seeing nothing under him but air.

"Oy, Ron, don't hold on so tight, you're not gonna fall off the horse," Luis reassured him.

"Easy for you to say, mate. You can see the bloody things."

"Oliver, you next," Ebony said and gestured him over to one of the Threstals.

"I'll go with him," Chelly volunteered and hopped up onto the shadow of the horse she could see. Ebony helped direct Oliver on. He had a bit more ease with it considering his Quidditch skills.

"Ok, right. Hermione," Ebony called on the girl who looked paler than usual as she stepped forward. She had a fear of heights. She remembered that from flying on Buckbeak with her a couple years ago. "It won't be bad, you'll fly with me." Ebony got onto the Threstal and wished she had brought her cloak to hide them from the sight of humans. Not that it would matter since the others would be visible. But night was falling and the dark would be a shield enough.

It took both Harry and Neville to help her on and once on she squealed in fright and clung to Ebony, burying her face in the back of Ebony's sweater. She had a feeling the fifth year would stay like that the entire flight and highly doubted she'd be loosening her death grip anytime soon. With a quick glance and Ginny and the look of hope she had at the thought of possibly riding with Harry, Ebony spoke. "Neville, you'll fly with Luna. And Ginny, you should fly with Harry." The girl's face lit up, her eyes practically glowed. They first helped Neville on behind Luna where he blushed three shades of red as he put his arms around her and Ginny could have just floated onto the Threstal to sit behind Harry as happy as she was.

"Are we ready?"Harry asked with a scan at everyone. Hermione whimpered into Ebony's backside, burying her face more.

"As ready as they're going to be," Ebony nodded.

"Can we just get going?" Luis asked, uncomfortable with Ron's clinging. "The sooner we're there, the sooner I can pry him off me and breathe."

"Okay, now for those of you who can't see, I'd suggest closing your eyes if you don't like heights," Harry advised.

"Don't have to bleeding tell me twice," Ron whimpered.

"All right…off we go," Harry kicked at the horse and the others did the same. The horses took off galloping, flapping their wings and before the ten knew it they were airborne, flying high above the clouds. Ron and Hermione were the only ones with closed eyes. The others seemed to enjoy the thrill of nothing but air. It took all of twenty minutes to fly in, the night sky the perfect camouflage to hide them from muggle eyes. They landed just outside the Ministry. Ron and Hermione all but kissed the ground, practically jumping off the Threstals.

"We can only take the booth, so two or three can fit at a time," Harry explained.

"I'll go with the first group then," Ebony volunteered. "It'd be better to have someone with experience in fighting down their first just in case even though the Ministry should be empty by now."

"Right, Luna, Luis, you two go first with her," Harry pointed them out and they stepped into the crowded booth. Ebony dialed the numbers, heading down into the Ministry. It touched the ground and they stumbled out into the vast empty area, Cornelius Fudge's poster the only moving thing within. Ebony took her wand out for good measure. Death Eaters were tricky after all and Voldermort was the best at concealing himself until he wished to be seen. Her wrist wasn't burning or hurting just yet, but it didn't mean he wasn't there.

The booth came back down and Chelly, Oliver and Hermione came out. Oliver looked around, his wand already in his hand like Chelly's. "It's empty."

"Looks can be deceiving," Ebony told him.

"Wouldn't there be some sign of them?" Luis asked, biting at his nails, the other hand holding his wand.

"No," Chelly answered, watching the area to the right. "Not unless he wanted there to be."

The booth reopened for Ron and Neville to step out. Both looked tense and alert, unsure of why they even came. They waited in silence until Harry and Ginny were the last to arrive.

"Where to Harry?" Chelly asked him.

"The elevator to the top floors…I know exactly where the room is," he said and they all moved to the elevators, vastly alert of everything around them. Once inside no one spoke, no one knew what to say as they were about to approach the very room Harry had seen Voldermort in. The very place that could be crawling with Death Eaters…and the Dark Lord himself.

**THE PROPHECY**

"Department of Mysteries," the automated voice said as the elevator came to a stop. Stepping out, they found themselves staring down a long narrow glossy tiled dark hall with a door at the very end of it.

"This is it," Harry said, his eyes on the door.

They walked forward, each breathing heavily in fear, wands tight in their hands. Harry and Ebony took the front while Chelly and Oliver brought up the back with Luis, everyone else walked more in the middle but watched the sidelines as they passed through the door. Chelly reached out and took Oliver's free hand in her own for good measure and some reassurance. He squeezed back, calming her racing heart a bit.

The entire room was lined sky high with shelves upon shelves of crystal balls, tagged with names of various people. They swirled and glowed with a mist as they passed by. Luis seemed dazed by them, reaching out to touch one.

"Luis!" Chelly whispered fiercely at him in a warning tone. He dropped his hand away, jumping back and glanced at her mouthing 'sorry' before staring back at them all as they went on. Harry was counting the rows, reading off the numbers printed on each shelf with his wand lit. Ebony wasn't too far behind him seeing as how it was her father Harry had seen in the vision.

Chelly had hoped to keep her out of this mission since she was involved in the vision she had seen with Sirius falling through the misty archway way and disappearing. But it didn't seem like Ebony would be going anywhere. Not without knowing Sirius was all right and Harry wasn't in danger from the Dark Lord.

She sighed and turned to Luis. She rolled her eyes at him as he was touching one of the glass orbs again, completely enticed by the swirling glowing mist. She dropped Oliver's hand and slapped Luis's away from the ball. "Don't touch!"

He rubbed at his hand, "Ow…but they're so pretty."

"You can look, but don't touch," she scolded him. "Besides you should be watching out, not watching the spheres."

He pouted at her and turned away but she saw his eyes move back to the glowing spheres, his ADD getting the best of him. "Pretty…"

She shook her head and turned back to the front just in time to hear Harry speak. "He should be here."

"Harry," Neville spoke and Chelly turned around again to see him staring at an orb on the shelf just above his head. The one the Order had been trying to keep hidden so Voldermort couldn't get a hold of it. "It's got your name on it."

With a frown Harry stepped up to look at it. It was his name, printed clearly on the tag. He glanced at Ebony and by the look on her face he could tell she knew about it, that she and Chelly both knew about it.

"It's yours Harry…it's what he didn't have the last time," she told him, unfazed by it as it dawned on her it was the prophecy that was being kept safe.

He reached out and carefully removed it from its place, staring into it to hear his prophecy. Ebony closed her eyes as she listened to it, already knowing that one could not live while the other survived. And now Harry knew as well.

"Ebony…" she heard Chelly speak and looked at her friend. Her eyes were slightly wide, she had had a vision. She saw them all in this very place and shadows coming from all sides, one in particular walking straight up to them with the same cold blue eyes and his snake head cane.

"What is it?"

"It's a trap," Chelly spoke but her words were too late as the vision became all too real. Chelly and Oliver turned to face the back where the shadows approached wearing silver masks. Death Eaters.

Ebony and Harry spun, wands pointed ahead as the figure walked towards them wearing a similar silver mask. She knew who it was. His cane gave away the identity his mask held and his voice was one she knew all too well.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked and Ebony already knew the answer. This was set up. The vision was a plant to get them to come here, to get the prophecy Harry held in his hand. They had all walked right into the trap.

"You know, you really should be able to tell the difference," the Death Eater spoke and removed his wand from his cane. "Between dreams and reality," he swiped the wand in front of his face and the mask misted away to reveal Lucius Malfoy.

"Lucius," Ebony hissed his name, eyes narrowing.

"Ebony, what a pleasant surprise to see you here…though I shouldn't be _too_ surprised now should I?" he smiled coyly at her

She held her breath. Most Death Eaters presumed she was under cover for the Dark Lord, working from the inside just as her father was. And her presence here would only pull them to believe she helped walk them right into the trap, tagging along to make sure the prophecy was found by Harry. To them, she had delivered it exactly, while in her reality she had missed to see what should have been plainly obvious. That it was indeed a set up.

"You saw only what the Dark Lord wanted you to see," Lucius explained. "Now hand me the prophecy."

"If you do anything to us, I'll break it," Harry threatened.

A cackle came from the darkness behind Lucius and Ebony felt her blood run cold, "He knows how to play." Bellatrix Lestrange stepped from the darkness in her tattered black dress, hair bushy and dark and eyes deep into the madness that was her second cousin, another of the poison of her blood line that she was regretfully related to. "Pity, pity…baby Potter."

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Neville spoke her name in disbelief as he started at the woman who had destroyed his parents. His hand tightened on his wand.

"Neville Longbottom, is it?" Bellatrix smiled as she stopped next to her brother in law. "How's Mum and Dad?"

"Better now that they're about to be avenged," he growled and pointed his wand at her. Harry put his arm out to stop him and Chelly and Oliver pulled him back by his shoulders as Bellatrix too pointed her wand at him, ready to finish off the Longbottom family.

Lucius slowly put his hand up to reassure everyone. "Now…let's everybody…just calm down. All we want, is that prophecy…"

"Why would Voldermort need me to come and get this?" Harry asked sternly.

"You dare speak his name," Bellatrix seethed angrily. "You filthy half blood!"

"Calm down, it's all right," Lucius told her, putting his arm up to stop her from moving towards him. "He's just a curious lad, aren't you?"

"Oh shit…" Chelly mumbled from the back. Ebony didn't have to look around to see the Death Eaters surrounding them. She could feel her birth mark trembling ever so slightly under her watch.

"Prophecies can only be retrieved by those for whom they are made," Lucius answered and started slowly stepping forward towards Harry. "Haven't you always wondered what was the reason of the connection between you and the Dark Lord? Hmm? Why he was unable to kill you when you were just an infant? Don't you want to know the secret of your scar? All the answers are there, Potter, in your hand. All you have to do is give it to me and I can show you everything."

Harry stared at the glowing orb in his hand. Ebony wanted to tell him not to do it, hoped he wasn't stupid enough to just hand it over to Lucius. Harry took a deep breath. "I've waited fourteen years…"

"I know," Lucius said with mock concern and a nod, holding his hand out.

"Guess I can wait a little longer. NOW! _Stupefy_!" Harry shouted and pointed his wand at Lucius and Bellatrix. Ebony said the words at the same time and sent Bellatrix and Malfoy backwards as the others did the same to all the surrounding Death Eaters. Some disappeared into a black mist, streaming upwards to get away. They took off running down an aisle and a black mist reshaped into Lucius in front of them, he held his hand out for the orb and they backed up, sprinting down another aisle.

Luna, Chelly, Neville, and Ginny got broken up from the others, running down a different aisle.

"This way," Chelly shouted and moved Neville and Ginny ahead of her. She turned to Luna to find two Death Eaters had formed between them and one backhanded her cousin across the face. Luna fell to the ground and pointed her wand at one. "_Leviosus_!" The Death Eater shot straight up into the air.

Chelly reached into her back pocket, removing one of her confusion potions and uncorking it with her teeth. "Hey!" she shouted at the Death Eater that had hurt Luna. He turned around and Chelly pointed her wand with her other hand. "_Accio_ _mask_!" the man's mask flew off and Chelly threw the potion in his face. He cried out as it stung his eyes and left him completely out of it.

Neville moved around him to help Luna to her feet and Chelly took the opportunity to kick the man in the groin. He double over in pain and she kicked him in the face, knocking him unconscious to the floor. She pointed her finger at him. "That's for hitting my cousin asshole."

"Come on," Ginny tugged on her sleeve and they continued running down the aisle, sending random shots at Death Eaters to buy them time till they found the door.

A few aisles away, Harry, Luis, Oliver, Hermione, Ron, and Ebony were fending off Death Eaters left and right. They came to a stop and six of them surrounded the group.

"Oh this is sooooo not good," Luis shook his head at the ambush.

Ebony could feel the tension of the others as the Death Eaters closed in, stupefy was no longer working as they expected it.

"What do we do?" Hermione asked in a panicked voice.

"Keep trying," Harry egged her on.

Ebony knew it would be of no use now. That if something wasn't done and done fast they'd be caught. She took a deep breath, holding her wand up. She was a Slytherin after all. Her father was Severus Snape and had taught her much more than the basic spells, but things of darker magic that were only meant to hurt…and she was, after all, Death Royalty. A crisis like this called on her heritage. She pointed her wand at the Death Eaters coming from behind them. "_Incendio_!" A wall of fire burst from the floor up, blocking them out from getting to them or they risked being burned. No common water spell could put that out.

It seemed to send the ones coming from the sides off guard as the stupefy spells now worked on them. She swung her wand to the Death Eater ahead of them. "_Sectumsempara_!" A large amount of blood flew up in an arch from the Death Eaters black robes and he fell to the ground, the wand tumbling from his lifeless hand. With the force she put behind that curse she knew he was dead, if not close to it, and didn't want to know who lay behind the mask. She shoved the others forward instead, trying to push them from their shock. "Go! Run!"

The six took off running down the aisle, past the body. Soon they bumped into the other four.

"Are you all okay?" Harry paused to ask.

"Great, never better," Chelly wiped at the cut on her forehead from a Death Eater they had just encountered.

A mist was coming down the aisle and before Ebony or Chelly could point their wands, Ginny pointed hers and shouted a spell that caused a huge blast, much like the one she used in the army training. It worked…but the side effect was a tremble that caused all the orbs that were piled sky high to come crashing down in a wave of glowing furry.

"Not so pretty! Not so pretty!" they heard Luis say from somewhere behind them as they stared at it for a moment in shock.

"Shhiiittt," Chelly muttered and turned to run.

"Go!" Harry yelled. "Run!"

The ten took off running to the door just ahead. Chelly looked behind them and only saw the glowing orbs. "Where's Luis?"

Oliver pointed to the door. "There!"

Chelly looked ahead and saw Luis already disappear through the door, way ahead of them. She put more into it, hating to run but it was a probable cause. Either run faster or die by glowing glass shards. They reached the door and all pushed through.

Chelly screamed with the others as they fell through the air having nothing to step on once they passed through but found themselves in a bottomless void of air. Instead of death by glass it was going to be death by smashing on the ground.

**Dun dun dun!!...I love cliff hangers...don't you? R&R in the meantime before we see what happens next...**


	13. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: I only own Ebony, Chelly and Luis…and now Stark._

_And the conclussion to my cliffhanger...or is it??_

**ARCHWAY**

They felt their bodies come to a halt and Chelly turned her head to look below her. They were hovering twenty feet off the ground at different levels, some higher than others. "That wasn't so bad," Neville sighed.

Gravity kicked in at his words and the ten crashed to the ground with sudden shrieks followed by groans of pain as they crash landed from the twenty foot drop onto others that had been below them and the ground hadn't cushioned the blow at all.

"I retract my previous statement," Neville croaked from the bottom of the pile.

"Whoever's on top of me please retract your knee from my kidney," Luis groaned.

"Oh sorry," Ron moved off of Luis, rolling over to the side to get to his feet, rubbing his shoulder. He gave Luis a hand up who kept his other hand on his lower back where Ron's knee had jammed into him.

"That hurt," Chelly moaned and removed herself from Neville with a wince. Her back had landed on his foot, his shoe jabbing her. By the feel of it and the pain that was still there she'd have a nice bruise.

"Everyone alright?" Harry asked and pushed himself up to his feet helping Ginny. The sphere had managed to not shatter during their fall.

"I think so," Hermione nodded, rubbing at her head.

"I think I broke my arm in the fall," Oliver grimaced getting to his feet, cradling his right arm closer to his chest.

Chelly was by his side in a heartbeat, looking at his arm. She touched his wrist were it seemed out of place and he hissed at the pain that shot up his arm. "Yeah, you broke your wrist. Who did you land on, doll?"

"Hermione landed on me," he corrected her but didn't seem bothered by it.

"I am so sorry," Hermione apologized gaping at his wrist.

He shook his head, "It's all right. You didn't mean to. Better you landing on me than me landing on you, that's for sure."

"Luna-Bird, you okay?" Chelly asked her cousin, noticing the blood her lip.

"Quite all right," she wiped at her cut lip that had stopped bleeding, blood still smearing her mouth. "That was a bit of fun."

"I don't know if I'd call it fun," Ebony said. For the moment they seemed to have lost the Death Eaters. But if she knew them well enough they'd be back soon. Very soon. They wouldn't be able to out run them for long and she and Chelly alone were no match against their higher numbers. They needed their back up, they needed the other members of the Order. She hoped her dad had reached them in time to send them the message. Or there wouldn't be time to save them at all.

"What is that?" she heard Harry ask and turned around to see the large archway in the middle of the room. He walked closer to it, up the sloped platform, memorized by it.

"The voices," he said, watching the swirling mist inside the stone arch. "Can you tell what they're saying?"

"There aren't any voices, Harry," Hermione said. "Let's get out of here."

"I hear them too," Luna said and stared up at it.

Luis nodded his head. "I have no idea what they're saying though…sounds like a whole different language."

Ebony stood next to Harry, hand on his shoulder. "It's like with the Threstals…only we can hear it and see the misty curtain."

"Can you hear them, Celly-Bird?" Luis asked, but Chelly didn't answer. "Chelly?"

Ebony turned to look back at her friend who was staring at the arch in dismay. It was the same arch as in her vision. The one Sirius fell through and disappeared. And now that she saw it she knew what this thing was, a passage for souls. That's what those whispers were and Harry and Ebony were standing close to it, just like in her vision…except Sirius wasn't here…which meant it wasn't happening.

"Chelly?" Ebony repeated her name.

"Yeah," she nodded and blinked suddenly. "I-I hear it…we should go though. Find a way out of here before they find us again."

No sooner were the words out of her mouth did a parade of black shooting shadows sweep around them.

"Get behind me," Harry yelled, wand pointed as the others moved to stand around him. Ebony still at his side. They pointed their wands as the shadows swept down and gained speed, knocking them all to the floor to take cover.

Chelly heard Luis shriek and fall besides her, Oliver on her other side. The shadow continued moving over them and she heard Luis shout. He was gone from her left and with another surprise sound, Oliver was gone from her right. Before she could call out to them she felt herself lifted off her feet and pulled back, reforming on the rounded platform that circled the outer archway of the round room. A wand was pressed to her throat as the Death Eater she recognized to be Victor Crabbe's father held her prisoner, his hand wound in her hair. She winced slightly as he tugged and she saw Luis to her right across the side, held by his short hair by Goyle Senior and liking it none too much as he swore at every tug Goyle pulled. Her eyes caught sight of Oliver across the way and saw Yaxley gripping Oliver hostage by his broken wrist. The intense pain he was trying to hold back in his face caused her to try and move to him, but Crabbe yanked her back by her hair.

"Oww…I just did my fucking hair, your moron. They just cut it and took out all my split ends so that everything I have is nice and pretty and if you pull so hard one more time I will split your ends," she threatened. Crabbe just chuckled in response and tugged on her again to have her face him. She felt a blinding pain across her face as his meaty fist slammed against her. She winced and knew her eye would pay for that later. Through her blurred vision she saw the shadows had stopped moving, everyone was taken.

The shadows stopped moving over Harry suddenly and he lifted his head slowly to find his friends had vanished from around him. He got to his feet and found them all around him, held captive by various members of the Dark Lord's army, stripped of their own wands and completely helpless.

He heard Lucius laugh in triumph and saw him walk up the slope towards Harry, holding Ebony in front of him, one hand around her throat. She had been stripped of her wand, it lay near Harry's feet, knocked from her grip when Malfoy had grabbed her off the ground. He saw her as a way to bargain the sphere from Harry, regardless if she was undercover or not.

"Did you actually believe or were you truly naïve enough to think that children," he hissed the word, "stood a chance against us?" He moved past Harry and stood just to the left and down of the archway. He turned around and held his free hand out to Harry, speaking coldly. "I'll make this simple for you, Potter. Give me the prophecy now…or watch your friends die."

He looked around, glancing at Ron who was head locked by a rather large Death Eater. At Neville who Bellatrix had by the hair. Chelly who was seemed pissed and angry that she couldn't do anything and Oliver who was trying not to move too much for fear of the pain his broken wrist would endure. Last he looked at Ebony, her blue eyes pleading with him not. Ever so slightly she shook her head.

"Don't give it to him, Harry," Neville boldly spoke out. Bellatrix pointed her wand back at his throat to shush him.

Chelly took him at his example. "The Order fought for so long to keep it from them, don't do it. It's what Voldermort wants." She hissed in pain as Crabbed yanked her by her hair and hit her across the face again, she felt blood drip from her lip this time and he pulled her hair to keep her from falling. She put her hands on her head, hoping to ease the pain and pull and mumbled so only he could hear. "You're gonna regret that you dick head." Her hand was already slowly inching to her back pocket where she kept the other confusing potion.

Harry glanced at the glowing sphere in his hand and lifted it up slightly.

"Harry, no," Ebony said and Lucius tightened his hold, yanking her closer to him.

"Quiet," he hissed at her and held his free hand out to take the orb. "Give it to me…or she dies." He tightened his grip to emphasize his words and Ebony gasped at the pressure. He was going to pay for that first chance she got.

Harry held out the orb placing it in Lucius's hand and Ebony closed her eyes in despair, again she had failed the Order and Harry. The Death Eaters now had the weapon they didn't possess before. A bright light coming from the back left followed by footsteps that caused her to open her eyes and Malfoy's grip loosened a bit. She watched as he turned slightly, still holding Ebony and she could see Sirius standing there. Her own shock at seeing her dad there was mirrored on Lucius's face, but not for long.

"Get away from my godson," he said casually and threw his fist forward and decked Lucius in the face. It caused him to fall back and let go of Ebony at the same time. She was quick to bend down and retrieve her wand. "And let go of my daughter."

She was surprised her father had said those words seeing as how no one knew she existed and she was known Death Eater wide as Snape's daughter. But with a relieved sigh she saw Lucius didn't hear it as he was preoccupied with trying to grab the orb that had flown from his hand during the hit. His hand missed it by inches and it smashed to the ground to a million pieces and with it, she was sure, he saw his life shatter as well. The Dark Lord would not be at all happy with this.

White lights seemed to shine in from all directions as members of the Order appeared around the room to chase off the Death Eaters. Chelly saw Mad Eye Moody and Tonks and to her benefit Crabbe seemed to be as easy to distract as his thick headed son. She uncorked the vial and threw it in his face. He immediately released her and she turned around, kicking him in the groin and then grabbing him by his hair and yanking as he yowled in pain. "How do you like it?" She fished her wand out from his inner pocket and pointed it at him. "_Stupefy!"_ Crabbe Senior flew back and collided with the wall, sinking to the floor unconscious.

An impressed whistle came from her left and she turned her head to see Jason Stark, Ebony's neighbor and a substitute teacher at Hogwart's standing there, rubbing at his goatee, dark eyes glittering and his equally dark hair slicked back from his ruggedly handsome face. "Nicely done, Chell."

"Hey, Stark. Back from vacation?" she asked.

He nodded and sent a spell at a Death Eater. "And not a moment too soon," he sighed. "Seems like an Auror's work is never done." He gestured away. "You better get moving as much as I'd love to chat, now is not the time."

"Good point," she jumped down the ledge. "Talk to you later!" She stayed low as she hurried along to help get rid of the others. She could see Lupin across the way and hurried to find Luna. She didn't need her cousin getting hurt in this battle. She spotted the blonde girl and ran towards her, stupefying more Death Eaters along the way and sending random spells to blast them back.

"Luna, let's go," she grabbed her cousin's hand and pulled her along, needing to find Luis next. He was on the other side, ducking down in a crevice and clutching his arm tight to him, face contorted in pain. That seemed to panic Chelly and she hurried Luna along to reach him. Once close enough she kneeled down and grabbed his shoulder, he winced at the movement and she saw the blood seeping through his sweater and the cut left in it.

"Oh my God, Luis," she said and stared at the wound.

"That asshole!" he hissed at the pain. It was deep, stitches worthy for sure. He had removed his sweater to wrap it around his wounded forearm.

"Are you okay?" she asked, worried that he might have lost too much blood or that it was more severe than it appeared to be.

"No…," he pouted. "My sweater is ruined…just like your face is starting to be."

She let out a sigh of relief. He'd be just fine after Pomfrey saw to him. "Yeah, well, it still looks better than yours." She pointed at Luna. "You stay with him and both of you try not to get into any trouble. You have your wands, use them. I need to go find Oliver."

"Why are you saving your knight in shining jersey? What about me?" Luis whined.

"You'll live."

"But I'm hurt."

"Keep bitching and you'll be unconscious," she threatened. "Just stay there." Chelly left before he could argue further, dodging curses and spells along the way and even catapulting a Death Eater across the room with a bouncing charm. She didn't find Oliver yet, but she did find Hermione and Ron, or more of Hermione comforting a hurt Ron that left a gasp in her throat. His left sleeve was missing and his arm was blistering red from shoulder to mid elbow, a nasty burn covering his arm and Hermione had a soothing charm over it, the slimy liquid covering the angry burn wound. She wanted to see if he was okay, to check on him but in Hermione's care she knew he'd be in good hands. She needed to find her own boyfriend.

She heard a familiar cry and turned to the right to see Oliver, dodging curses from Yaxley, the same guy that had cut her forehead earlier in the Department of Mysteries. Oliver didn't have his wand and he seemed tired as he moved out of the way of each curse the big brute threw at him. His moves were becoming more sluggish and she could see it was becoming harder for him to move out of the way. She wasn't sure if he could pull it off much longer and the other Order members seemed busy at the moment. Stark was on the other side of the room dealing with Goyle and Lupin was busy helping Tonks. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at the unseeing Death Eater. "_Strevilous!" _she shouted. Before Yaxley could throw another curse at her boyfriend his arms became limp and seemed to stretch down completely boneless.

"You messed with the wrong guy," she shouted angrily and Yaxley turned to see her down below, a platform lower. "You screwed with him and you screwed with me and now I will fuck you up."

"You crazy bitch," he hissed at her with dark eyes.

" _Imperium_!" she used one of the unforgivable curses. "Come over here and sit and don't speak. I hate when you people monologue and say mean things," against his will Yaxley walked over to where she stood at the bottom of the ramp and sat on the floor, his boneless arms moving about him as he glared at her. "Bring your knees up closer towards you." He drew his knees up. "Very good. _Bowits!_" His arms wrapped around him tying into a neat little bow. She smiled at him and kicked him in the face. "That's for hurting my boyfriend." She swung her foot again, hitting him in the side of the face and blood dripped from his mouth. "That's for hitting me in the face earlier." She put her foot on his chest and he teetered on the edge. His eyes widened in fear as he stared at the ten foot drop to the hard ground below. "And this is for calling me a crazy bitch," she shoved against his chest and he fell to the ground rolling away, arms tied around him completely out of breath but no longer a threat.

"Though you weren't far off," she shrugged and glanced up the ramp to see her boyfriend still up there away from the chaos that still rained on.

Oliver saw her and gave a sigh of relief and in his exhaustion he put his back against the wall and grimaced as he slid down, cradling his right arm closer to him. Chelly hurried up the sloped ledge to the higher platform. She sat down next to her boyfriend, on his left side. He had his eyes closed head tilted back against the wall. There were dark spots under his eyes from a mixture of the pain and his own fatigue and he seemed pale.

"Are you okay?" she asked and touched the side of his face gently.

He peeked his eyes open and gave her a tired smile. "I could ask you the same thing." He lifted his good hand and touched her cheek. "Your poor face."

"It'll heal, you should see the other guy," she smiled and stopped when it hurt her cut lip and cracked the scab causing it to bleed again. "How's your arm?"

"Worse…that guy broke it in another place," he winced as he adjusted it and gestured at his foot. "And I think I hurt my ankle…" he smiled though. "It's like I never left Quidditch."

She chuckled. "You've had worse."

"How are the others?"

"Luis is hurt, Luna'll be okay and Ron's arm is burnt."

"What about Ebony and Harry?" he asked concerned. Last he saw Lucius had Ebony by the throat and Harry had given him the sphere before all the members of the Order had flown in and all hell had broken loose. She did manage to see Sirius sucker punch Malfoy though, a sight she'd never forget.

She glanced across the way, the arch perfectly visible from where they were shielded on the high platform. She could see Harry, Ebony and Sirius fighting from where she sat and the three seemed to be all right. "Looks like they're…" her voice trailed off. They were in front of the archway, the three of them, just like in her vision. She saw Bellatrix from the corner of her eye and heard the killing curse shouted from her as she waved her wand. The green light hit Sirius straight in the chest and Chelly let out a gasp, hands covering her mouth. Sirius smile wiped from his face to be replaced with one of shock. He managed to look once more at a dismayed Ebony and Harry before falling back into the arch, his body disappearing as his soul flew up into it. Everything seemed to freeze at that point and Chelly shook her head, falling back to sit next to Oliver who put his good arm around get to comfort her. She had seen it happen, she had seen Sirius die in her vision and was unable to prevent it…what good was she to them if the things she saw couldn't be stopped? She'd be unable to stop him from dying and now Harry's last remaining hope of having a family was destroyed in those few seconds, Ebony's solid bloodline; her father, was gone forever. And there was nothing she could do but sit there and shed a few tears of remorse for the man who's name would never be cleared and the man who would never get his wish of having his family back…

_Next...Ebony's POV on this scene...not a fun chapter to write...I'llpost it after I get off work..._


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: Back tracking a bit to Ebony's POV…getting to the end and emotional point of it now_

_Disclaimer: I only own Ebony, Chelly, and Luis…and now Stark but he comes and goes. Mainly mentioned until book 7_

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**BLACK DEATH**

"Get away from my godson," he said casually and threw his fist forward and decked Lucius in the face. It caused him to fall back and let go of Ebony at the same time. She was quick to bend down and retrieve her wand. "And let go of my daughter."

She was surprised her father had said those words seeing as how no one knew she existed and she was known Death Eater wide as Snape's daughter. But with a relieved sigh she saw Lucius didn't hear it as he was preoccupied with trying to grab the orb that had flown from his hand during the hit. His hand missed it by inches and it smashed to the ground to a million pieces and with it, she was sure, he saw his life shatter as well. The Dark Lord would not be at all happy with this.

Hell seemed to break loose as curses and spells flew through the air. Ebony used a shielding charm to block the two sent at her and sent one back, throwing a Death Eater off the platform. She moved with her dad and Harry around the other side of the arch, missing a spell by an inch.

Sirius grabbed Harry's collar. "Listen to me, I want you to take the others and get out of here."

"What?" Harry questioned in disbelief. "No, I'm staying with you."

He patted his shoulder. "You've done beautifully…now let me and Ebony take it from here."

A curse hit just above Ebony's head and the three stood up to see Lucius there, wand in hand with Dolohov and another Death Eater. Lucius sent a curse and Ebony shielded them again with a Protego spell. And they continued back and forth with various spells. Sirius knocked the Death Eater off the platform with some fancy wand work and movement and Ebony blasted Dolohov across the room.

Harry pointed his wand at Lucius, "_Expelliarmus!" _His wand flew from his hand to his surprise and he had no defense or others to back him up.

"Nice one James," Sirius called out and Ebony saw the lightened look on Harry's face.

Her dad pointed his wand at Lucius and she stopped him. "Wait! I got this one," she told him.

"By all means," he gestured for her to go ahead and Ebony tucked her wand away. The diamonds on her ring were glowing as she summoned a spell into her hand while walking towards him in two strides. She pulled her fist back and let it loose with the spell at the same time, decking Lucius in the face and sending him flying back clear across the way, tumbling to the floor unconscious. Two Malfoy's in one day, father and son. It felt good.

She turned around with a grin matching the other two members of her family, not noticing Bellatrix's shadow about to reform on a platform across the way.

"Well done, Ebony," Sirius applauded.

She was about to thank him, when she heard the words from her cousin across the way and saw the green light of the killing curse strike her dad. She looked in the direction the same time Harry did and saw Bellatrix stepping back into the shadow, reveling in her work.

"Dad…Sirius…" Ebony said softly, reaching a hand out to him, the full effect of it hadn't sunken in yet as she stepped near Harry, the same look of disbelief on his face.

Sirius said nothing, merely blinked at them with remorse in his eyes as he fell back into the archway, away from where Ebony reached from him. His body disappeared within it, his soul pulled up into the mist that was its curtain.

She let out a gasp, time freezing around her, her hand still outstretched as if he could still grasp it, come back from beyond the swirling veil. But he was gone, there was no sign of him. He was gone…and he wasn't coming back. Her last link to her actual family was gone and more importantly, the only family Harry could possibly have was dead…her father, Sirius Black, was dead.

Ebony shook her head and seemed to break with the reality the same time as Harry. She lunged for the archway but felt an arm pull her back, tightening around her waist and spinning her away from the arch in a firm hold. She wrestled against the arm, trying to pull it from her waist despite how familiar their scent was to her. She needed to get to Sirius.

"No!"she yelled. "No, let me go…"

"You can't help him," Stark spoke into her ear. "He's gone, Ebony, he's dead."

"No…I can get him," she said to her friend and tried to wrestle away from his grip.

"He's gone, Eb. You can't save him…he's gone," he said to her quietly.

"No…no…no," she shook her head just as Harry started to scream his pain next to her, her uncle holding him back with both arms around him as he struggled to break free. The fight to get to Sirius seemed to dwindle inside her, the truth of his death sinking in and she stopped struggling to break free, tears falling down her face as she slumped against Stark.

"I'm sorry…there's nothing you could do, he's dead," Stark apologized, rubbing her shoulder.

Ebony lifted her head up and peered out the dark curtain her hair made in front of her face, eyes set on Bellatrix as she with a chuckle and backed out the door. "I can kill her," she yelled and broke out of Stark's grip the same time Harry did, both of them heading out the door after her.

A new fire seemed to light inside if Ebony and for once she didn't fight the anger and hate she felt, didn't fight the throb in her birthmark. She embraced it; hate, anger, and power, let it merge into one with a new found resolve.

"I killed Sirius Black!" she was singing in the lobby and cackled.

"_Crucio_," Harry called out. The red spell hit Bellatrix and she fell to the floor. Both stopped just in front of her, she wasn't in pain though. She just pouted up at him, moving back across the floor. Ebony took notice that his spell had no effect on her.

"You need to mean it, Harry," Ebony explained, her wand in her hand as she stared at her second cousin with dead eyes. "You need to really truly hate someone and _want_ to hurt them."

"Hate me," Bellatrix cackled at their incompetence. "Hurt me, try me…"

"You can't do it, Harry," she pointed her wand at Bellatrix. "But I _can. Crucio!_"

The spell hit Bellatrix and she screamed at the pain, turning on the floor as it pulsed through her. The look on her face seemed mixed with the shock that she had been able to pull it off, been able to muster enough hate and anger and really mean to hurt her. Ebony was sure she could kill her with the Avada Kedavra curse if she wanted. She glanced at Harry and lost her concentration on the spell, her anger ebbing away.

"Harry?" Ebony frowned. He was pale and sweat was beading off his face as he panted. He was hearing him, he was hearing Voldermort. Lost in her hate and anger she failed to notice the sudden change in him, the same state he was in at night when Voldermort invaded his dreams. She'd been so consumed by her revenge, she'd forgotten her purpose, to protect him. It was the one thing she had promised Sirius. She felt it then, hitting into her like a train. Her wrist began to throb, pulsing as if the mark was alive and it stung more than ever before. She clutched her wrist with a gasp and before she could say anything her eyes widened as she watched Voldermort form just behind Harry. His snake like face twisting into what had to be a sneer of a smile.

Bellatrix chuckled on the floor at the sight of her master knowing the two of them would be no match. Ebony could only stare transfixed at him, never having met or seen him before in her life. He was as she always imagined, dark and snake like yet posed and almost a gentleman in the dark suit her wore. His dark eyes flickered to her, catching sight of the black pearl ring on her finger. He grabbed her hand, her wand tumbling from it. He caught it in mid air with his long fingered hand and pulled her closer to inspect the ring. His much colder fingers tracing around it.

"Ahhhh, Ebony Snape," Voldermort said with a smile, gazing into her blue eyes and releasing her hand, and tossing her wand to the side. Her eyes never left his as she side stepped in front of Harry. "My how I've longed to meet you, I'm sorry it's under such circumstances as these."

She wanted to scream at him. To tell him Bellatrix deserved to die for killing her father but she couldn't without giving herself away. She wanted to damn it all, but Sirius's death would be in vain if she did. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't, moved utterly speechless by him. She was robbed of her voice.

"Impressive use of the Crucio Curse I must say," he said and gestured to where Bellatrix still lay panting on the ground. "A true Slytherin with such anger and hate to be able to use it." He reached out with long fingers and touched the Slytherin pendant around her neck. She recoiled back a couple steps. "And a true Snape at that…your mother would be proud."

She winced at the thought, never knowing Voldermort knew who her mother was. "Yes," he replied reading her reaction. "Yes, I knew your mother well, of course. She was one of my best followers. And like your mother, you are talented at inflicting pain…and like your mother you need to be taught to accompany it…_crucio_," the red blast hit her and she fell hard on her knee, avoiding colliding with Harry, but the pain shooting through her caused her to topple over, unable to stay bent on that one leg as the weight of the pain screamed through her.

"Ebony!" she heard Harry say her name, but couldn't reply at the burning pain that seemed to flow through every nerve in her body. She only managed a cry of pain as she struggled to get to her hands and knees. Just when she thought she couldn't endure it, that it'd be too much, it stopped and she sagged to the floor, gasping for air, her face pressed against the cold tile. With more resolve than she thought she possessed she pushed her way to her hands and knees, and aided by Harry stood up.

"Determination," he said proudly at the sight of her on her feet after withstanding the Cruciatus Curse from him. "I like that."

Harry pointed his wand and Voldermort merely flicked his hand. Harry's wand tumbled away, clear across the room and the Dark Lord seemed to notice he was there though she doubted he had forgotten Harry's presence, just decided to simply toy with her instead. She wiped at the sweat on her face and wasn't surprised to see her hand come back smeared with red. She had cut her cheek at some point and it was bleeding with a vengeance now from the pain curse. She felt the knee she had fallen on throbbing now too.

"So weak," Voldermort chuckled at them both and Harry gripped Ebony's hand. She squeezed back ready to deal with whatever he dealt as she made sure she was a step, even if only half, ahead of Harry.

They both heard the fireplace to the right of them ignite and Dumbledore stepped out of the green flames, wand in his hand, eyes dead set on Voldermort. The Dark Lords smile seemed to falter as his easy kill wouldn't be so much on the easy side anymore.

"It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Tom," Dumbledore told him and stepped in front of Harry and Ebony. "The Order's are on their way."

"By which time I shall be gone," he said and took a few steps back, holding his wand gracefully in his hand. "And you shall be dead."

Dumbledore used a quick spell to shove Harry and Ebony to the side and back. They landed on the floor, Harry falling on Ebony, his elbow jabbing her in the side and her boot hitting him in the back. They ignored the pain, their adrenaline high as the blast hit all around, Dumbledore's fiery red power and Voldermort's blue. Harry dragged her back next to him as they watched, the powers force causing a wind to blow around them as they watched.

Every chance Voldermort seemed to get he sent parts of his spell at Harry and Ebony. The two dodged each blast ducking down, Harry shielding Ebony as she used her ring to try and shield his blasts out. But it was no use, his power was stronger than her shields. Each blast missed them and broke the tile of the wall behind them, sending the concrete debris raining down.

Voldermort used a ball of fire and a giant fire snake appeared in the air, Ebony gasped and gripped Harry's arm, both scared and amazed by the spell. His cackle seemed to knock her from her daze and the snake lunged at Dumbledore who sent it rearing back in a tumble. The fire was pushed back at them and the Head Master called force a tidal wave of water to engulf Voldermort in a floating sphere.

Harry dragged Ebony to her feet and both limped to stand behind Dumbledore. Dumbledore threw his free hand back and sent the two sliding behind him with the force of his magic to keep them out of the way and Voldermort broke through his water prison. This time they managed to not injure each other further. They pushed themselves up on their hands and knees to watch the events.

Voldermort growled and took in all the power thrown at him, then sent it forth in a greater burst that caused the glass of the windows to come raining down. Harry covered Ebony with his body just as she covered her head with her arms, trying to shield her from getting hurt while covering his own head with his free arm. They both peeked up at the same time to see the poster of Fudge torn to shreds and the glass shards rose up in arcs to their disbelief.

"Not good," Ebony muttered and gripped Harry's arm again as he tucked her closer to him to shield her. She buried her face in his shoulder, hand gripping his arm.

Dumbledore sent a pure power wall up around them to stop the glass turning any of it that penetrated through to sand. Harry help Ebony stand to her feet and she made sure to put most of her weight on her other leg.

Voldermort stared in dismay and disappeared into a swirl of sand and he was gone. Ebony frowned, her mark was still throbbing, still burning beneath her watch. Usually when Voldermort was no longer around it stopped all together as if it never happened. He couldn't be done, not that easily.

Harry gasped next to her and she turned to see his eyes widen as he choked for air again, doubling over.

"No," Ebony whispered. He was invading his mind, he had slipped right past her and Dumbledore and got to the person he wanted from the beginning. Harry fell to the floor, wincing in pain, trying to fight the voice in his head, panting with the effort.

"Harry?" Ebony fell to her knees near him, forgetting the pain in her knee, as Dumbledore kneeled down. He looked up, eyes sinister and silver. The Dark Lord had his mind.

"You've lost old man," Voldermort's voice said through Harry before his face contorted in pain, trying to stop him.

"No…no…Harry you're stronger than this," Ebony shook her head as her friend continued to wither in the agony. "You are stronger than this, you can beat him."

"Harry, it isn't how you are alike…it's how you're not," Dumbledore spoke softly to the boy.

He seemed to collapse on the floor, gasping and panting, utterly exhausted, a defeated look in his eyes. Ebony shook her head in her own fear. She wouldn't let him give up and die, she wouldn't let another member of her family abandon her. Not tonight. Not Harry

"No…you can beat him…because you're not alone."

She grabbed Harry's hand in her own, forcing memories into him, gripping his hand tighter in hers as to not break the hold and link. She showed him the first time she met him, sitting on the ledge reading her book, him wrapping her hand up for her when she cut it while waiting outside the whomping willow, talking on the bridge when he couldn't go to Hogsmeade, the two dancing together at the Yule Ball, laughing at the table when Ron got his dress robes, her helping him through his nightmares, the two of them talking on the steps together not long before this happened.

"I'm here Harry, I'm always here, you're never alone…you have us," she said to him and forced him to look over at his friends. They all stood there in the main lobby now, staring at Harry, begging him with their eyes to fight this, proving to him he wasn't alone, that they were still there and always would be, willing to sacrifice skin and blood to do so. Ron leaning on Hermione. Chelly supporting Oliver with his good arm around her. Luis with his sweater wrapped around his damaged arm. Luna, Ginny and Neville standing next to them. She felt the memories tear through his mind with each face he saw.

Hermione running to hug Harry. Him sitting on his bed with Ron. His parent's smiling at him from the mirror, Sirius hugging him just that passing Christmas. The trio laughing in the snow. Harry standing in the Threstal meadow with Luis and Luna. Chelly with her arm slung around Harry and a smile on their face even after their detention with Umbridge. Harry laughing with Ginny at the Quidditch Tournament last year. Neville giving him the Gilly weed for the tournament. Oliver showing Harry for the first time about Quidditch. All of them laughing at the breakfast table in the morning over something stupid that had been said. Together, just as they all were now. United, whether it be in fun or fear, in laughter or in pain. They were all together.

"You're the weak one," Harry said to Voldermort and squeezed Ebony's hand. "And you'll never know love or friendship…and I feel sorry for you." Harry cried out in pain again and flew onto his back, coughing, his grip ripped from Ebony's as the sand started to swirl around him. Voldermort's form appeared inside the slow swirling circle that surrounded him.

"You're a fool, Harry Potter," Voldermort said as he stood above the boy. "And you will lose everything."

Before Voldermort could say anymore, the hearths in the main lobby began to spark as members of the Ministry stepped through in shock and dismay of the damage surrounding them from the big battle.

"Great timing," Ebony heard Chelly mumble from somewhere behind her.

Ebony took Voldermort's sudden distraction to her advantage and crawled over to Harry, lifting his torso to rest in her lap. Her arms went around him to protect him from anything he may try to do. He'd have to go through her first.

The others from the Flo Network came to a stop at the sight of Voldermort, gasping in fear as he disappeared completely. Ebony was sure of it. Her mark stopped pulsing. The members of the Ministry started whispering to each other and Fudge spoke the evident words, "He's back!"

That sent Chelly through the loop. It was her last straw and she couldn't hold it in any longer. She'd been doing it for too long as it was. "Are you fucking serious?!" she exploded, still supporting Oliver's weight. "Did you not get your eyes checked recently? No shit he's back! We've been saying that for a freaking year! He's been back, glad you decided to join the damn club. How the hell did you come to be Minister anyway?" she shook her head, her lip bleeding again from her rant and she glanced at Kingston. "Gosh, can I slap him?? Seriously! Can I?"

"Calm down, young one…I think he'll get what's coming to him now that he knows it's no longer a lie," Kingston said calmly but was still smiling. He gave her a wink and she smiled slightly, her lip now hurting. She glanced over at Ebony who looked nearly as worn out as Oliver. She sat on the floor with Harry's upper torso leaning in her lap and Dumbledore kneeling on their other side as cameras flashed around them.

Chelly sighed in irritation. That was so not what they needed right now. What they needed was to get back to Hogwart's and get everyone treated, especially Oliver and Tonk's who had both been through the ringer the most. Luis and Ron were at close second with their injuries and Chelly wanted nothing more than to sit in their chambers and sleep on the couch. Screw her bed, it was too far to walk at this point. Dumbledore must have taken the hint from the look on her face.

He moved his arm under Harry's shoulders and swooped his other under the boy's knees, lifting him up into his arms with a strength neither of the two girls knew he possessed. Ebony struggled to her feet with her injured knee, knowing her uncle would have helped her had he not been supporting Tonk's and Chelly not been helping Oliver stay upright with Luis's help. A pain shot up her knee and she fell sideways only to be stopped by someone catching her from the side.

"You all right?" Stark asked, one hand on her arm the other on her waist.

"I'll be fine once I'm on my feet," she nodded.

"You sure, you have a lot of blood on your face," he said in a worried manner.

She nodded her head as Stark helped her to her feet. "It's a lot worse than it looks. It's my knee that's hurting right now."

"Do you want help walking through the Flo Network?"

"No," she shook her head. "But thank you. I can manage it from here."

He nodded slowly and though she said she needed no help, she noticed he stayed close behind her as they stepped through, just in case. Ebony couldn't have been happier to be back on campus. Even if it was in the Hospital Wing the network took them straight into.

Madam Pomfrey was running around like a mad woman, unsure of which student to take first. She took Harry first, seeing as how he was unconscious and once she had him in a bed she put the others into beds as well. Tonks being laid down across from Harry while she had Chelly move Oliver in the bed next to him and Ron across from him and so on until everyone in desperate need of care was lying down. She tried to bustle Ebony and Chelly into one but both girls refused, swearing they'd be okay and that their wounds were easily treated.

Chelly sat in a chair between Oliver and Luis's beds for a moment to be with them before leaving. She patted Luis's uninjured arm. "You did pretty good for a sixth year who didn't want to be there."

"Feel like I could have been more useful," he sulked. "I stunned a few guys and got captured and splinched…some use I am."

"You used that hiccupping potion though," she reminded him. "Never seen a Death Eater hiccup himself off a ledge before."

"Quite impressive," Luna nodded from his other side.

One of the other nurses came around to check on Luis then. "How are you feeling?"

"Really sore and tired," he sighed.

"I'd imagine so with a cut like this…it'll take over night to heal…may want to take a blood replenishing potion as well to be on the safe side. And a light pain medication, it'll hurt when it's healing back together considering it tore through the muscle."

He rubbed his eyes with his other hand. "I'm so sending you people my therapy bill."

"If it makes you feel any better, Draco Malfoy may need one too," she said and patted his shoulder knowing no other house got along with Slytherin.

That seemed to catch their attention, especially Luis's who dropped his hand from his face eager to hear. "Really? Why?"

"Well," she leaned in with a giggle so no one else could hear her. "He was found unconscious in Professor Umbridge's office in quite the predicament with his pants down and can't remember a thing as to how he got like that," she giggled.

Chelly saw the huge grin spread across Luis's face and he seemed perkier. He definitely had something to do with it and he had been right, she had heard about it after all. The nurse walked away and she raised an eyebrow at him. "You're doing?"

"Now why would you assume that?"

"You look like the cat who ate the canary."

"That obvious?" He grinned and lay back against the pillows. "I am useful after all…"

"Tell me one thing?" Chelly smiled. "Was he wearing Hello Kitty boxers?"

Luis laughed, "You bet your ass he was…and he'll be betting his ass sooner than later…least his daddy will in Azkaban. Ohh…next year just got brighter for me now."

"He's screwed isn't he?"

"He's _going_ to be," he smiled at her.

She shook her head and turned to Oliver, leaving Luis in his bright glory. Oliver looked anything but bright or glory filled. More like pale and exhausted. He was fighting to stay awake, eyes drooping slightly. She touched the side of his face, glad the cut on his temple had stopped bleeding. She could feel her lip still was by the coppery taste in her mouth.

"How you feelin'?"

"Absolutely great," he smiled wearily at her. "Honestly, I've had worse than this…isn't that pathetic."

"No…its extremely brave…I'm glad you have, it's how you survived though today," she told him.

"No, I survived through today because you saved my arse. I wasn't going to be able to dodge forever with my ankle injured and my arm broken in two places, not to mention a slight concussion."

"Give yourself some credit for dodging spells thrown by a Death Eater for that long with those type of injuries. Your Quidditch really paid off, Oliver."

"You still saved my arse."

"Only because you kept it alive long enough so I could," she reminded him and he nodded slightly. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore, but I'll live," she shrugged.

"Is Harry okay?"

"I don't think he was hurt too bad, just exhausted from battling Voldermort in his head."

He paused for a moment before speaking. "How are he and Ebony doing?"

She knew he meant Sirius. How were they doing with his death, with a member of their family dead. Chelly shook her head. "I don't know, Ebony hasn't talked to me about it yet. She'll be okay though…I'm pretty sure of that…its Harry I'm worried about…and I'm sure it's who she's worried about."

Chelly glanced across at Ebony who sat on the far side of Harry's bed staring at her unconscious friend. It was better this way for him. To be asleep and not have to face the reality that Sirius was gone just yet, Ebony decided. It would hurt him too much when he was awake, but for now he slept where the nightmares and memories couldn't touch him due to Pomfrey's potion. That, at least for now, she didn't have to worry about him and could gather her own thoughts and emotions to deal with this.

A hand touched her shoulder and she didn't have to look away from Harry's slumbering face to know it was her godfather. "Ebony?"

She turned her head slightly to acknowledge him.

"Ebony, look me in the eyes," he told her and her eyes slid up to his dirt smudged face, meeting his concerned but warm gaze. "Are you all right? Were you hurt badly?"

She shook her head. "No, the blood is mostly from show…I'm okay…really I am..."

"I'm sorry about…" he choked on the words and his grip tightened on her shoulder. She saw his eyes became watery as he forced his emotions back after losing his best friend. She didn't even stop to think of him, of how he was affected by her father's death. All she could think about was Harry and her own anger. She had lost thought of him in the process. Remus had lost his best friend twenty-four years. He had known him longer than everyone else, loved him as family for much longer and had just gotten him back for a few short years only to have him ripped away so fast without warning. Now _she _was the only family _he_ had left.

She touched the hand on her shoulder and it brought his attention back to her. She smiled at him and stood to her feet to hug him, pressing her good cheek to his chest. "It's okay…I promise it'll all be okay Uncle Remus. I'm okay too…" she pulled back. "We'll talk about this more later. Right now I need to get back to my…" she paused on the word dad, feeling it was inappropriate to say it in front of Lupin and she didn't want to add insult to injury. "To my other dad…he's probably worried and I need this stuff taken care of…so does Chelly. We will talk later though but please for now don't worry and," she glanced behind her at Harry. "And take care of Harry and Tonks, watch out for them for me…and yourself…you three are the only few members of family I have left to care for. I want to keep you all around a lot longer," she said with a small smile.

He hugged her again, squeezing her tighter than before and she figured it was because she was the last of his family and he was relieved she recognized him as it…and she was all that was left of his best friend. He kissed the top of her head and gave her a sad smile, patting her back. "All right…of you go. I'll be here if you need me, I'm not going anywhere."

She nodded her head and motioned for Chelly to follow. Oliver appeared to be asleep and Luis waved with his good arm as they left, chatting with Luna. The two girls left the hospital wing but it didn't take long until they were no longer alone.

"Why aren't you two in hospital beds?" Stark asked as he pushed off from the wall he had been leaning against.

"We just want to go back to our room," Chelly mumbled. "It's been a long day."

"I can see that," he said gesturing at them. She wanted to smack him. He looked too perfect and to put together to have been just fighting Death Eater's. But that would take more effort than she had in her. "You two should be looked at."

"Later," Ebony said. "I just want to go home…"

Stark looked like he wanted to say more about what had happened with Sirius. Being Snape's neighbor he knew Ebony wasn't biologically his, but like everyone else, he knew it didn't matter. He didn't say anything on the subject. "Okay…I'll stay here in case your Dad comes looking for you…which I'm sure he will."

"Thanks Stark," she mumbled and tugged on Chelly's sleeve for her to follow.

"I'll see you two later," he told them and went back to his post against the wall, waiting for the inevitable as he watched Chelly and Ebony.

The two girls limped back to their chamber in silence, neither knowing what to say to the other about what had happened that night. But both felt their silence spoke more than their words ever could.


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: The emotional conversations…always my favorites_

_Disclaimer: Nothing has changed, I still own the same characters as before. _

* * *

**BRUISES**

They were bone tired by this point. Ebony was unsure how much more she could press on, completely drained mentally and physically as well as emotionally. It was a numb void now where she had felt the pain of Sirius's death. And her body ached from the fight, the Crucio Curse was probably the cause of most of it, though the cut to her cheek that throbbed and was bruised was all Lucius's doing. She felt satisfied knowing he'd have a black eye from her own punch and maybe a concussion from the spell she put into it. But now that the adrenaline had worn off, she was starting to feel the pain.

Chelly wasn't much better off. Her lip was cut from the hit she took to the face from one of the Death Eaters, Crabbe's father whose fist were just as big as his head and the side of her eye was a nice shade of blue and black. She limped from the fall down the tunnel and the harsh landing that had caused bruises to her back from landing on Neville as well as her knee and she was pissed from not getting much of an opportunity to fight. Though she did get Crabbe back for hitting her and Yaxley wouldn't soon forget her.

They pushed through the door of their chamber and wearily walked over to the couch. Both girls slowly sat down upon it, each wincing from their aches and pains like old people and sighing once they were comfortably positioned, glad to be sitting at long last since the sun was already coming up outside from what they could tell at the Hospital Wing. In here it was nice and dark, minus the fire in the hearth.

"You okay?" Chelly finally asked her after a few minutes ticked by.

She touched her still bleeding cheek. "Never better."

"I meant…about…" she couldn't even say the words about Sirius's death.

"I know what you meant…and I stick with never better…" she said with a nod.

"All right…if you want to talk about it though…"

"I know you'll be there. I appreciate it…I'm just too tired to talk about it. I'm not even sure how I feel over it all."

"Fair enough," she said.

"Ebony? Chelly?" the two girls turned their heads to see a worried looking Snape hurrying over to them from the doorway and kneeling in front of the couch in record speed. "Why aren't you two in the hospital wing? I've been looking all over for you both until Professor Stark told me you came back here."

"Well, Pomfrey's got more than enough on her hands to worry about us and our petty injuries," Ebony answered as he looked back and forth between them.

"What can be more important?" he asked and tilted Ebony's face to look at her cheek.

"Ron got a nasty burn and was knocked out. Neville got his face split open, Oliver broke his arm in two places and his ankle and Tonks was hurt," Chelly said.

"And," Ebony added and moved her chin from his grip. "Luis was splinched and Harry was left unconscious after he fought Voldermort out of his mind."

He looked back and forth between them. "And you're both fine?" he repeated in disbelief. "You look as if you lost a fight to a giant."

"We fought a ton of Death Eaters, that's why we look like this," Chelly defended as Snape again looked at Ebony's cheek.

"I hope they look worse," he mumbled.

"I'm sure they do…most of this is from Lucius," Ebony said.

"Malfoy? What did you do?"

"Yea…let's just say I doubt I have to visit this summer," she smiled, eyes twinkling and he couldn't help but feel some pride over that. "I think I killed one too…"

His eyes widened. "Who?"

"I don't know, he had a mask on and I used one of the spells you taught me…the ripping spell…I had no choice…we were surrounded and he was in the way…no Death Eater saw me use it."

He took a deep breath, both afraid and worried that she had killed someone though he was rather glad it was them and not her. "You did what you had to…"

"I used a confusion potion…" Chelly added in wanting some of the attention.

He rolled his eyes and patted her knee. "Very good, glad you managed to do something right," he turned to look at her face. Her eye was three shades of color and her sweater was covered in blood from her lip where she had pressed the sleeve against it.

"I'm fine," Chelly was quick to say when she noticed he was staring at her wounds.

"Fine? You're using your sleeve to stop your lip from bleeding and your eye is starting to turn purple, but you're fine?" he repeated in doubt.

"Oh yeah," she fidgeted on the couch wincing as she leaned back against the cushion.

"Where else are you hurt?"

"Here and there," she shrugged.

He rolled his eyes and sat between them on the couch, motioning her to lean forward having seen the pain it caused her to simply lay against a rather comfortable couch. "Move up."

"I'm good."

"I won't ask you again. Move. Up," he commanded sternly.

Chelly let out a huff and did so, one sleeve still to her lip as she leaned forward with a wince. Snape moved the back of her shirt part way up to reveal the nasty bruise on her lower back near her spine that was three shades of blue. Ebony saw him wince just looking at it. "I hope you did worse to the other Death Eater."

"Actually," she moved the cloth from her lower lip. "That happened because I landed on Neville's shoe on the fall down."

He gave her a you're-kidding-me look, staring at her pointedly but when she didn't correct it he let out a snort and shook his head. "If I were you, I'd have come up with a lie than tell that pathetic truth to anyone."

"Hey," Chelly snapped and turned her head to him, sitting up straighter, causing the back of her shirt to fall back down as she stared at him, cheeks getting red.

"Uh oh," Ebony sighed with a mumble. She'd seen her get like this a few times over the last couple weeks, hell she saw her get like this an hour ago. "Here she goes again…"

"I've had a really _really_ bad day! In fact, it's been a bad year! First I had Auror's training where I had to get up at the butt crack of dawn because Mad Eye is out of his bloody mind and do exercises and training and learn every spell they could think of and learn to Apparate and Disapparate which sucks like hell and hurts your ears like mad. Then they had me focus in on my unknown talent of foresight. I didn't even know I could do that! But apparently I can and that gives you such a freaking headache after awhile but Mad Eye was the drill sergeant from hell and I felt like I was being punished for every bad thing I ever did, and I've done a lot of things. Then, after my summer was blown I come back to work and find we have a Neo Nazi Pink Bitch as a teacher who on the first day gives _me_ detention for helping Harry and her detention scheme is just as screwed up as that giggling pink puff is because I now have a collection of scars from this hippo," she rolled up her torn sleeve to show him the back of her hands where she had two rules scarred into each hand. "Then I'm not allowed to see my boyfriend and have to go sneaking off with him half the time meanwhile Draco and his gang run the halls which was reeaaaallll fun cuz they acted like they were the freakin police around here. Then I had you giving me hell for the longest time until you decided to shape up, thank God for that. Then I get busted in DA and get more goddamn lines _and _Dumbledore gets kicked out so Pinky becomes Head Mistress which meant I was screwed and she'd do more than call me fat or ask if I was pregnant. And I gave Cho a hard time because she ratted us out only to find out it wasn't her fault. Then I go to the forest and meet Hagrid's little brother which he really isn't little he's huge and tried to eat me but ended up picking Luis up instead.

Luckily though Fred and George pulled that charade on Neo Nazi Fluff Ball and wrecked the room and drove her crazy I was thrilled and just when I thought things were looking up it all goes to shit because Harry had a vision of Sirius being held hostage in the Ministry by Snake Face. But my vision didn't match his and I wondered why since I saw an arch and he saw the Department of Mysteries. So we have to go running to save him but get busted by Umbridge and just when I was starting to wonder where the skin would be taken off of, I lie to stop her from using the Crucio Curse on Harry and get dragged into the Forbidden Forest because I so love it, where Centaurs tried to kill us but Grawp came in and took out Umbridge then the centaurs took her out and it was all good til we got to the Threstals which was fun but not so fun at the Ministry where I had to keep babysitting Luis and his ADD to make sure he didn't break any of the glowing spheres. And in there I get a vision that it's a trap but it's too late to say anything.

So we get ambushed by Death Eaters! Led by none other than Lucius Malfoy and the Bellatrix bitch and end up having to fight our way out of the Sphere room and Yaxley hits me in the face and cuts my forehead," she pointed at the cut on her temple, "and Ginny aims at this one Death Eater and causes and explosion and all these Crystal Balls coming tumbling in a huge wave and we gotta run out the door but there's no floor outside the door! So we fall! And I land on Neville's foot which really freaking hurt. Then, if that's not bad enough, these black clouds of Death Eaters grab us up and I get punched in the face by Crabbe's dad twice! And I get my hair pulled by the dumbass which really hurt and I had just gotten my hair done. And I'm pissed cuz my sweater's ruined and my lip is bleeding everywhere and my eye hurts and my back is killing me and I lost a bracelet. Then I go to help Oliver because Yaxley is trying to kill him but I tie him up with his own arms and send him over the ledge after kicking him in the face for hurting Oliver and for hitting me earlier. And before I can say or do a damn thing, I look up just in time to see Bellatrix hit Sirius with the killing curse and he falls right into archway just like I saw in my vision and I couldn't do a damn thing…I couldn't help her…" she paused to take a deep breath, trying to exhale her guilt. "And most importantly…I haven't eaten in a day!"

The two were silently staring at her for a moment and Snape pursued his lips with a nod. "Are you finished?"

She huffed, folding her arms over her chest. "Yes…"

"Good…I want you to go take a bath and then come back out here so I can take care of your cuts," he handed her a small string bag. "Put these in your bath it'll help relax your back and the bruises will fade faster."

She nodded her head and stood up, wincing and mumbling about the pain. "I can do that…easiest thing I've been asked to do in a month."

"There'll be food for you when you get out as well," he told her as she opened her bedroom door.

"That's the best news I've heard in a month," she sighed and disappeared into her room, the door shutting behind her.

Snape looked to his other side at his daughter who sat silent during the rant. She was biting at her nail, her nail polish chipped around the edges. The blood on her face was starting to flake in parts that weren't washed with new blood from her cheek.

"Let me take a look at this," he said and tilted her head to look at the cut. "Hmm…its not so bad after all…funny how shallow cuts bleed the most. _Stethus."_ The cut on her face stopped bleeding and scabbed over. With a bit of Murlap, it would heal just fine without a scar. Her cheek would be as good as new by next week. "There," he said softly and tucked her hair behind her ear so it wouldn't get stuck in the blood. "Not so bad. Just need to wash your face is all now. Any other injuries?"

"My knee. I landed pretty hard on it," she spoke quietly.

He nodded and his head and patted his lap for her to bring her leg up. She turned in her seat and moved her leg across his. Snape rolled her pants leg up and winced when he saw her black and blue knee. "How did you manage this? Did you fall down on Mr. Potter?"

"No, I have other bruises from falling on Harry, this one was from Voldermort."

Snape seemed to freeze at the words and realized that the man he had to pretend to follow had hurt his own daughter. "He hurt you?"

She nodded. "He recognized me as your daughter by my ring," she twisted it on her finger. "He said that I was a true Slytherin because I used the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix…that it reminded him of my mother and I was definitely your daughter…but I needed to learn discipline or something and he used it on me. It's how I hurt my knee. I fell on it."

"He…he used the Cruciatus Curse on you?" Snape repeated and felt his blood boil when she nodded her head.

"Don't let that get you caught," she warned him. "They all still believe I only did what I did tonight to play along, that I sent them into the trap. Don't change any of that because he felt the need to test me…he was impressed anyway since I took it and was able to stand."

"You were able to get up?" he said in awe. "I'm impressed as well…"

"Thanks…I guess," she shrugged and he waved his wand over her knee. The bruised faded to a lighter color.

"It'll be sore for a few days, but by the end of the week it should be completely gone," he told her and patted her foot, removing her shoes. He kept his hand there as he watched her watch the fire, a distant look in her eyes. He wanted to talk to her, to ask her if she was all right but the question seemed pointless . Of course she wasn't all right, not after tonight.

"He really is gone," she whispered and he wouldn't have known she spoke at all if he hadn't been watching her the entire time.

Snape took a deep breath, speaking just as quietly. He rubbed her foot with his hand. "Yes…he is…and…I am sorry, Ebony." He waited for a backlash of angry emotion from her. Waited for her to tell him he was probably more pleased than saddened because he didn't have to share her with Sirius ever again. But she didn't.

"It's okay…to tell you the truth, Dad…I'm sadder for Harry…not for myself and my loss. I'm upset that he's dead…," she said quietly and he could see her eyes watering slightly. "But he wasn't the last link of family for me, family that I want to claim anyway…but he was the last for Harry, the last father figure he had and now he's gone. Harry has lost that hope and I feel more upset for him than I do for myself…I loved Sirius…I did…but I loved him the way you love a second relative like a cousin or an uncle. I cared for him the same way I do Uncle Remus…and I'll miss him a lot because I'll never get to have that time with him…but Harry loved him like I love you…and," she shook her head a tear fell down her cheek, clearing a path through the blood on her left cheek. "And I can't imagine what that must feel like…what kind of void that leaves…just the thought of it hurts and…and the hurt he's going to go through…I guess that's why I'm not so sad yet…because I know he'll need me and that he loved Sirius more than I did…he loved my father more than me. And I'm okay with that…I'll be okay."

Tears were falling freely down her face now, evidence that she truly did miss him. He moved her legs off his lap and pulled her over to sit closer to him so he could put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned her head against his chest, her tears and the blood on her face soaking into his clothes. He stroked his fingers through her hair. "It'll be okay, I promise you…I'm here, Ebony…just as I'm sure he would have been and still is…everything will be all right."

Chelly had come out of her room then, freshly bathed and in her sweats with a baggy t-shirt. She stared at the two of them on the couch, her friend crying silently and her father holding her. She wasn't sure if it was her fatigue, the loss she felt having known Black or the fact she couldn't have prevented this even though she saw it but tears fell down her own cheeks as her emotions gave out. She wiped her hand cross her eyes and winced when she hit her bruised one that only caused more tears to fall.

Snape held his arm out to the other crying girl and without a protest Chelly sunk into the couch next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder as his arm draped around her holding both the crying girls now. He rubbed Chelly's upper arm and rested his chin on top of his daughter's head. "It'll be okay girls... I promise the both of you…in the end everything will be all right…"

Ebony sniffled, her tears stopping as she laid there with her head against her father's chest, her friend on his other side as she listened to his words and hoped to God he was right. That everything would turn out to be okay. And she prayed that wherever Sirius Black, her father, was that he was okay and truly free at long last.

* * *

**One chapter left until Half Blood Prince...**


	16. Chapter 16

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of JK's characters at all. Only Ebony, Chelly, Luis, and (sometimes) Stark_

_A/N: I figured I might as well end this book tonight and start Half Blood Prince tomorrow. So here it is, the conclussion. (Enjoy Rock Royalty)_

**FUNERAL**

The sky was clear and the weather warm as Ebony sat on a high boulder, staring at the Shrieking Shack from a distance, Chelly sitting next to her on one side and George on her other. He'd arrived later on that day and her father hadn't protested his presence at all. In fact he had welcomed it after the three of them had dozed off on the couch together for a few hours, it was George who had awakened them all and Snape had taken the opportunity to patch up Chelly's injuries while George sat with Ebony. They all ate together, making mild discussion of other things like George and Fred opening the Weasley shop in Hogsmeade and how his parents took them dropping from school. Snape had shaken his head at their decision but couldn't neglect the fact they were good at what they were doing.

Her dad then took Chelly to the Hospital Wing to see Oliver before visiting hours were over and Ebony had thought about seeing Harry, but George had talked her out of it, telling her Harry would need time to be by himself and that she wasn't ready to hold such a heavy conversation yet. She took his word on it and instead curled up next to him on her bed, the stuffed animal dog resting on her nightstand, a reminder of her lost family. She had fallen asleep before Chelly and her dad even got back and didn't awaken until the very next day where she ate enough to make her dad stare at her then at George who must have feared he'd end up like Oliver because the first thing he had said was it wasn't his. She was just hungry having not eaten in nearly two days and once Chelly started piling her plate higher than usual, Snape seemed to relax and moved reluctantly to the staff table to sit with Stark, still not comfortable with leaving Ebony and Chelly alone mo matter how much the other Slytherin teacher reassured him.

Oliver was released from the Hospital Wing soon after breakfast, his bones healed but arm still sore, along with Ron and Luis was already at the table with Luna and Neville having been released the day before with nothing but a scar. He wasn't thrilled with the notion but learned to live with it. And with Umbridge gone he was allowed to bring his cat, Mr. Kinky to school again…who seemed to have an attraction to Crookshanks much to Luis's disproval. Harry, Ginny, and Hermione joined them followed by Fred who had come in from Hogsmeade where he was setting up the shop. And it was like old times. Like nothing had ever happened and Ebony savored that moment with all of them together, realizing it would be the last with Fred and George there. The last time the twelve of them would be happy as a group on campus.

It was somewhere during the conversation between the twelve friends that they decided to have a memorial for Sirius since one would never be held for him the way he deserved. He had died with the general public thinking he was a convicted killer that had escaped Azkaban and they could rest better with him dead…while the ones who knew, the ones who mattered would find it harder to sleep at night. The Shrieking Shack had seemed like the place due to majority vote. Seeing as how it was the first place they had really gotten to know Sirius. So they sat outside the fence outlining the shack in Hogsmeade, staring at it from a distance. Flowers were set up at the fence, colorful ribbons decorating one post with charms on them that had to be Luna's doing.

"For easy travel and a peaceful rest," the blonde girl explained to Ebony when she saw her staring at them.

She nodded her approval and stared at the black dog she had left there, the one he had given her for Christmas. It seemed appropriate to leave it there seeing as how they couldn't leave pictures around of him for the memorial. The dog represented Sirius better than anything else could.

Stark stood a few feet from the fence and mumbled a spell that swirled around the black dog Ebony had set there. He glanced over at her and put his wand into his back pocket as he gestured with his other hand. "It'll keep the weather from deteriorating it or anyone from stealing it."

She smiled at him, "Thanks Stark."

"Yeah well," he shrugged. "I'm sorry this happened. I didn't know him, but you did. Sorry I couldn't help or that I wasn't back sooner."

"You were visiting your Dad in New York, not like any of expected this…something just happens every year."

"I'll be here next year," he promised and patted her shoulder. "And I'll be home this summer if you and Chelly need a break."

"You have a pool," Chelly said with a grin. "We'll be there."

"Feel free," he said with a smile and moved to sit over on one of the boulders.

Chelly and Luis both watched him go and Ebony fought the urge. He was her neighbor after all, but she had to admit he was cute even if he was twelve years older than her. She nudged them both with a smile and shook her head.

"Seems perfect," Ron said, sitting next to Hermione on the bench near the boulder. "I mean, you know, the perfect spot for him."

"It is," Remus said with a sad smile, he had joined them on Ebony's invitation and Tonk's had all but thrown him out of the hospital to go. She was feeling better, healing nicely from the fight and didn't want him to miss out on her cousin's memorial. "Sirius and I along with James used to use the Shrieking Shack as our own personal hideout quite a lot. It's where we caused the most trouble and came up with some of our best ideas. It was Sirius who spread the rumor it was haunted when we were younger, he dubbed it the Shrieking Shack…he'd like this…he really would."

"Do you have any more stories?" Chelly asked him. "I'd like to hear some."

Lupin chuckled, putting his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. "Ohh I have a few I could tell you lot…"

Lupin went on to tell another story of his youth with Sirius and Ebony excused herself from her friends and her father who had come along, more or less for her own sake. Although Ebony felt he also came to lay the grudge he had held with Black for so long to rest at last. He grunted and rolled his eyes, middling away from the storytelling to read the book he had brought with him.

Chelly rolled her eyes and leaned over to put her hand on the page he was reading. "You're at a funeral."

"And your point being…"

"Shouldn't you not be reading?"

"You mourn in your way, I mourn in mine."

"Like you're in mourning," she snorted in a whisper.

"I'm bored, Ms. Murillo, and I don't enjoy story telling."

"I'll give you credit for coming along," she taped her fingers on the page. "But not for bringing a book."

"Funerals are depressing, you need something to lighten the mood."

"I'll remember that at your funeral when I bring a book."

"Will it be a big persons book or a children's book with pop-ups and pictures?"

She glared. "I read."

"At a snail's pace," he snorted.

"I still read," she reminded him.

"Which is what I'd like to be doing, now kindly remove your hand," he used his other to pick her hand up off the page and Chelly took a surprised breath as a vision flew past her eyes. It was inside the Shrieking Shack, she could tell by its walls and creaking floors as it groaned. Snape was there, standing in a room near the stairs where the secret entrance was in the floor. His eyes were wide in fright as the snake launched at him aiming right for his neck.

The vision faded and Chelly blinked the moment Snape let go of her hand. She turned head to look at the Shrieking Shack, at Ebony where she stood next to Harry along the fence twenty feet away. She was smiling and laughing with Harry, completely unaware of the vision she had just had that might involve her worst nightmare. She had been there when the boggart turned into Snape's dead body, she knew it was what Ebony feared the most…and it might have been what she just saw.

She turned back to Snape. "Do me a favor?"

He gave her a curious look. "And what might that be, Ms. Murillo?"

"Don't ever go to the Shrieking Shack. Ever. No matter what."

"I beg your pardon?" he asked with a frown.

"Please, just…just don't ever go in there."

"Why? I'm curious as to what brought up this sudden demand."

She took a deep breath knowing it was a long shot. "I had a vision…" she explained. "You were in the shack…and you were attacked by a snake."

"A snake?" he snorted.

"I know it sounds weird but so far, none of my visions have been wrong no matter how odd, just please…don't go to the shack ever no matter what, please. For Ebony's sake…"

Snape's eyes drifted to where his daughter stood and Chelly bit her lower lip hoping he agreed. He sighed suddenly as he turned back to her. "I have no intention of going to the Shrieking Shack ever, Ms. Murillo…and, if you had a vision involving it, I'll take your word as prudent."

She let out a deep breath. "Thank you."

He shook his head and went back to his book and this time she didn't try to stop him. She just listened to Lupin's story, pushing the vision far from her mind.

* * *

Ebony walked to where Harry was leaning on the fence, arms folded on top of it staring at the shack. "Hey," she greeted. "How you doing?"

"Good as can be expected," he mumbled.

She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Harry…for everything. I'm sorry you lost…again. I really truly am. I'd give anything to go back and fix this for you."

"Makes it easier for you though, doesn't it," he snorted, his voice cold.

She was taken aback by his harshness. "None of this is easy for me. Do you think I wanted him dead? Do you really think I wanted this? What I wanted was for them both to get along, that's what I wanted. I wanted you to be happy with Sirius because you both deserved nothing less. I wanted you to be part of the family you never got to have with a man who never got to have his family. I wanted you to have what I have with Professor Snape. Two people who want nothing more than to be wanted and cared for and loved in a family and finally find that in each other…even if others don't understand it…so no, Harry, I didn't want him dead…I wanted you both happy…I wanted my family just like you do."

"It's not going to happen now…he's gone…she killed him…"

"No…you won't get to be part of a family with Sirius," she reached her hand out and touched his arm to grab his attention. "But you have me…and you have Chelly and Hermione and Ron and you're crazy if you think you aren't part of the Weasley family. Molly sees you as a son and like she really needs another," she chuckled. "But don't think that just because Sirius died that all your hopes of being in a family did too…because we're still here…after everything we went through all these years and especially last night…we're still here…we're still a family…"

Behind them George and Fred and set off one of their fireworks that spun out of control and broke a window of a nearby shop. She sighed, "A dysfunctional idiotic family…"

Harry chuckled and looked back at the shack, "I miss him."

"So do I…and that's okay."

"Dumbledore read me his Will…did you see it?"

She nodded. "Yeah…the house."

"You can keep it if you want, he was your father."

"No," she shook her head. "We'll share it like his Will states…it belongs to both of us Harry. You can keep the motorcycle though…that's more of a you thing."

"You can keep Kreacher."

She snorted and swatted his arm. "Gee, thanks!"

He laughed dodging her next punch. "Anytime…I can't believe he's gone though…"

"Neither can I," she looked over her shoulder at their friends who were still listening to Lupin speak now, Fred and George pretending they had no idea what happened to that window causing the owner to frown and fix it with a replacing spell. Snape still sat reading his book, trying to ignore the story telling but rolling his eyes every so often. "But we still have a family…we still have one up on Voldermort on something he doesn't have…"

"Love," Harry said.

"And friends," she added. The two of them walked back over to the others and Ebony sat down next to Snape, leaning her head on his shoulder. For some reason the Shrieking Shack was giving her a weird feeling, she wasn't comfortable around it and didn't know why…it just…didn't feel right. She felt Snape relax under her head and smiled, at least she had her family. She stretched her leg out with a deviant smile and tapped her foot against Chelly's hip repeatedly. After a minute the girl swatted her foot but Ebony kept doing it. She sighed irritated and scooted but Ebony scooted with her, tapping her foot against her again.

"Will you knock it off?" she slapped her foot away and Ebony brought her other one up with a laugh to continue the process. "Stop it you brat."

"No," she snickered and kept poking at her side.

"Argg…Snape! Make her stop!"

"Ebony, will you please stop so she quits whining," Snape asked not looking up from his book.

"Stop what?" Ebony asked innocently, her foot still poking Chelly.

"Stop it," she growled at her friend and started poking her back. Ebony retaliated and lunged at her friend from across the boulder. Both girls tumbled off the boulder to the ground with an "oomph" but kept poking each other, the landing not hurting them too much considering they fell a lot farther than that the day before.

Snape rolled his eyes at the girls but made no move to stop them as they laughed and kept poking each other which turned to playful wrestling that captured the attention of both George and Oliver as they grinned.

"You know, if I use a water spell, they'll be mud wrestling," George grinned wiggling his eyebrows.

"Sounds good," Oliver nodded at the idea. "Ooo…what if you make it just water, wet t-shirt contest."

"I like the sound of that, been meaning to try these out as it was," George reached into his pocket and took out a small round blue object and tossed it on the ground next to Ebony and Chelly. "Just add water and…_Liquidius!_"

Chelly and Ebony both gasped as the ground they stood on disappeared and sunk down, they were surrounded by water. The entire area was a mini pool no more than three and a half feet deep closest to the rocks in what was the shallow part, the deepest being six feet. The memorial seemed untouched and dried at least, safe in its distance from the pool that ended just before it.

"My clothes!" Chelly exclaimed, her pants and shirt soaked midway to her chest.

"Well…least we know the portable pool works…need to adjust the depth though," Fred observed from his safety on the boulder.

"You ruined my clothes," Chelly hissed at George and Oliver, her eyes darting angrily.

"Awe, isn't my little Asian bird cute when she's all wet," Luis teased.

"That's it!" Chelly growled frustrated. "That's your last straw, cupcake!" She pointed her wand at Luis. "_Accio Luis_!"

Luis shrieked as he slid off the rock and splashed into the water with a gasp and look of horror. Chelly busted up laughing at him and he glared. "You bitch!"

"Payback's a bitch," she chortled, running her fingers through her wet hair.

"Very sexy," Oliver commented whistling at her.

Chelly smiled at him, moving over to where he sat on the rock. "You know what I think is sexy."

"What?" he asked her.

She grabbed his hands before he could protect him off the boulder. Oliver twisted sideways and fell in, sputtering as he resurfaced. "You all wet."

Fred laughed from his perch on the rock only to have Oliver grab his foot and tug him in. He tried to resist but George was pushing him from behind until Ebony swaddled up and grabbed his arm to pull him, she even glanced Snape pushing the boy over with his foot into the water. Ron had tried helping but George spun just as he was about to fall and pulled Ron in with him who in turn pulled Neville in. Stark laughed until Pupin gave him a friendly push from behind and the Professor found himself submerged before standing up in four feet of water, his bangs falling in his face a bit now that his gel had come out from the water. That caused the girl's dry on land to laugh.

"Uh uh, Hermy," Chelly shook her head and reached her Hermione. "If I'm in you are in."

"Same goes for Luna-Bird," Luis chimed and climbed up the rock to grab Luna with Neville as his back up. Between the two of them they got the laughing girl into the pool, tossing her in from the rock.

"Ginny, you aren't getting out of this," Fred told his sister as he and George double teamed her, dragging her in as she laughed and screamed, splashing about in the water.

"No! No!" Hermione tried to fight Chelly but Ron picked her up around the waist having climbed up the side of the rock to surprise her and jumped in with her. Satisfied, Chelly splashed back into the water and joined in their water fight helping Luna dunk Luis.

Ebony climbed up the rock sitting next to Harry, the only dry kid left. "You can do this the easy way, or the hard way…"

"Do choose the hard way, Potter?" Snape suggested, amused by it all.

Harry shook his head and smiled at Ebony. "All right," he stood up with a sigh and reached for Ebony. She let him help her up. "Jump with me?"

"Sure," she nodded. "Anytime…"

"Course," he sighed and she felt his hand go to her back. "Sometimes a push helps too." She felt Harry push her in but he must have forgotten she still had hold of his hand and she wasn't going down alone. Harry found himself being pulled forward with her but didn't miss the feel off two different people shoving him from behind as old enemies reunited for one cause…to shove him into the pool.

Now all thirteen friends were in it together, laughing and splashing about, occasionally dunking another in or pulling someone under, like Chelly was Luis as the two appeared to be in a heavy water fight that had started with an innocent splash but was turning into tidal waves of terror. Snape and Lupin shook their heads but smiled nonetheless, glad to see them enjoying themselves during a dark time. Snape had even gone as far as disappearing his book back to his room, finding watching them more entertaining to his surprise

"Oddest funeral I've ever seen," Snape said, addressing Lupin, no one hearing them from the water, the splashing drowning their voices out.

Lupin smiled, "Actually…I think it's the best one I've ever seen."

Snape couldn't argue. It beat seeing his daughter depressed and upset. As of now, she was bright and full of life as she laughed, a grin on her face as she jumped on Stark back, pulling him down, Chelly double teaming with her to bring him under the water before George grabbed Ebony helping Stark get revenge, laughing til her eyes were slits. Both of them were brighter than he had seen all year…and they deserved it, if only for a short time.

The pool disappeared after two hours and the teens and teacher stood there, soaking wet and out of breath, smiles still plastered to their faces. Snape and Lupin took cautious steps off the boulders they had remained safely dry on.

"This was fun…didn't think it would be," Ron said, ringing out his shirt though it was no use.

Harry nodded with a smile and glanced at the memorial for Sirius. "Neither did I…but I have a feeling he would have wanted it this way…us smiling and laughing…"

"I agree," Ebony nodded. "This is a Sirius way of things."

"Or not so serious…get it," George laughed at the opportunity to slip in a joke, his sneakers squishing with each step.

"You're a riot," Ginny mumbled with a roll of her eyes.

"All right," Lupin gestured them to follow along. "Back to the castle with us and into some dryer clothes for you."

"What about you, Uncle Remus?" Ebony grinned with that mischievous tone.

"I'm not soaked like you," he told her. Both teachers were dangerously unaware that Fred and George had laid out another one of their Portable Pools just behind them and they were teetering on the edge of falling into the new one planted.

"Exactly," Ebony nodded and glanced at Harry. The two at the same time shoved Lupin backwards and with a shout of surprise he tumbled back into the pool with a splash. He surfaced laughing and moving his wet hair from his face.

Snape gave Ebony a glare, knowing she was the only one who'd be daring enough to do push him in. "Don't even think about it, Ebony…you either Stark."

He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair to move it out of his face, "You're my neighbor. You'll make it look like an accident," he said and jumped in the pool for a second round.

Snape eyed his daughter with Stark in the water.

She held her hands up and backed away as the others jumped back into the pool behind her, Ron doing an impressive front flip and George cart wheeling in. Luna merely skipped her way to the ledge while Harry canon balled near Lupin and Hermione. Luis made an impressive dive and Fred merely fell backwards in as Neville and Ginny jumped.

"I wouldn't dream of it," she said and he nodded slowly still watching her cautiously as he started to back away from the pool.

"I would!" Chelly exclaimed and lunged at Snape, hugging him and her momentum sending them both splashing in as Ebony watched in shock and glee with Oliver at the pool side.

Chelly resurfaced with a grin and Snape glowered at her, dripping wet. "You love me and you know it," she stuck her tongue at him.

He mumbled and splashed her. She splashed him back and he took a deep breath splashing her again. She sent it back and he mumbled a spell that caused a large waved of water to wash over her, leaving her hair dripping over her face. "You win…"

"Thought so," Snape moved to the edge of the pool. "Can you at least give me a hand to make up for your wretched friend?"

"Sure," Ebony nodded and her and Oliver both reached their hands out to Snape. He took them but instead of getting out of the pool, he pulled their arms, sending both splashing into the water. With a proud sneer he watched them resurface.

"You know what this means," she told her dad and splashed at him. "This means war."

And the next two hours went on like that, the entire group celebrating the death of a friend, a family member the way he would have wanted it. With them laughing and smiling, enjoying their lives the way they should be instead of mourning the loss of his, living for him the way he wanted, carefree and happy, if only for awhile.

**FRIENDSHIP/END**

The very next day was the end of school. A year had come and gone again and the students were packing their belongings up to head back home for another summer. They at least had enough stories to last a month with Umbridge's crazy rules and the scars most of them wore not only from the rules but from the Ministry fight the select few possessed. And Ebony was sure Harry would be all right after all. He didn't seem as depressed as she feared, but after the memorial yesterday, she had expected he would get through this. It lessened the stress on her shoulders and she could breathe easier knowing he'd be okay. That, for now, he was safe.

Chelly helped lug Luis's suitcases to the train, dragging two of them on their roll down wheels. Oliver was taking another, carrying it with his good arm, his injured one currently in a sling. Ebony carried yet another set of luggage and George carried the large trunk with Fred's help and passed it off onto the cart that would load it all onto the train. Chelly and Oliver tossed the other pieces on as well with huge panting sigh. Chelly rubbed at her still sore back while Oliver rotated his shoulder.

George shook his head at Luis, who only carried his black and white cat, Mr. Kinky due to his injured arm still wrapped in a bandage. He found it funny it didn't seem to bother him at all yesterday during their pool fight, but at the sudden mention of carrying all eight bags of luggage and a trunk, it hurt. "Honestly, what do you need this much stuff for?"

"Different outfits and shoes and my robes and my hair gel and Mr. Kinky's cat toys and food," he listed with a shrug.

"All that," Fred pointed at the cart full of Luis's luggage. "For less than a year of school."

"Season's change and so does fashion," he argued.

Ron and Hermione managed to fit their two bags onto the cart, Harry had to maneuver his onto it and once on the cart lifted to the train. "I'd hate to see your room, mate."

"It's awful," Chelly shook her head. "You thought I like shoes, he has a closet for them."

"Incredible," Hermione said and looked at Harry. "Are you going to be okay this summer?"

He glanced over at Ebony as they started walking and nodded his head. "I think I will be."

"I'll write. I promise," Hermione swore.

Ron rolled his eyes. "You know I won't."

"Wouldn't expect you to know how," Hermione mumbled and he glared at her.

"Awwwee, lover's quarrel," Luis teased earning him a glare from both of them.

"Speaking of which," Chelly looked over at him where he walked alongside Luna. "Have you seen Malfoy, Luis?"

"No…but I plan to on the ride there…you know…just slip into his compartment…make him feel at home."

"You're bad," Chelly laughed.

"Would you expect any less?"

She snorted in reply.

"I was thinking about something Dumbledore said to me," Harry said catching their attention. Even Neville walked closer behind alongside Ginny to listen as the twelve walked together.

"What's that?" Hermione asked.

"That even though we've got a fight ahead of us, we've got one thing that Voldermort doesn't have."

"Yeah?" Ron asked.

"Something worth fighting for," he nodded with smile and determination.

Chelly smiled as well as the others, all understanding the message. And she was glad that Harry at last decided it was worth the fight ahead of them. That he too would stand up and finish the battle no matter what loss lied ahead because death was guaranteed in this war to end all wars. People would die and the twelve that stood might very well not be standing together ever again but it was worth it in the end. That their friendship was worth fighting for.

"What?" Luis asked out of the proud silence.

"What what?" Luna asked him.

"What's worth fighting for?" Luis questioned.

Chelly shook her head and put a hand over her eyes, some of the others did the same. Ebony and Harry chuckled. "You are impossible."

"What?" Luis asked and stomped his foot. "Tell me."

"I'll explain on the train," Luna patted his shoulder.

"But I wanna know!"

"On the train, Luis," Luna promised him as she stepped on after giving Chelly a hug.

He pouted and Chelly gave him a hug, careful not to disrupt Mr. Kinky who lay lazily in his arm. "I'll write to you later."

"To think, next year you're a seventh year…finally," she told him.

"Don't remind me, least I'm done with Potions…no more Snape. All I have to worry about is Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration."

She patted him on the back and he stepped onto the train. Ebony waved. "See you next fall."

"You too…don't get too kinky with your boy there," she gestured at George. "Least don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That leaves nearly nothing," Ebony snorted as he disappeared, probably to go pester Luna for the answer.

Ebony took her time saying good-bye to Harry. She pulled away from his hug. "If you need me, you know how to find me. Just use the mirror, it doesn't matter if you broke it, as long as you have a shard you can call on me and I'll hear you no matter where I am."

"I will," he promised. "Thank you…"

"See you next year…and I hope it's better than this one for a change," she sighed.

"It will be…though…I guess in the end…this one didn't end too badly."

"You're right," she nodded and thought back to yesterday. "Be careful…don't run off fighting Dementors…I don't want to take another mud bath."

George raised his hand overhearing her. "I wouldn't mind."

She rolled her eyes towards him and turned back to Harry. "Just remember…it's all worth fighting for and you don't have to do it alone…you never will face it alone…I promise."

He nodded his head and boarded the train as it gave its final whistle. The five others stood back waving as the train departed until they couldn't see it anymore before turning around and walking back to the castle.

"That was an exciting year," Oliver sighed and patted his injured arm. "My mum's gonna freak when she hears about this one."

"Just tell her you fell off a broomstick, mate," Fred teased. "I'm sure she's used to hearing that from you."

"True, but I have a feelin' she already knows," Oliver told him.

"You think your mum's going to freak," Chelly held her arms out so the four scars on the back of her hands showed. "My mum's gonna write lots of howlers to the Ministry…" she grinned. "It's going to be great."

"I take it you'll enjoy seeing Umbridge sweat as she explains this," Ebony put in.

"I sweat? Shit, I wanna see the bitch cry," she chuckled evilly.

"I'm gonna be off," Fred said on a change of subject and started down the fork to Hogsmeade. "Got some setting up to do still. You couples have a lovely time, try not to get into trouble for your lives sake…my brother's no use to me dead or decapitated."

"I'll try," Ebony waved Fred off as they headed the other way and minutes later were back at the castle.

"Seems easier to be here with Umbridge gone," Oliver pointed out.

"God yes," Chelly took a deep breath. "Smells like home again," she resniffed the air. "And I think the elves are making chicken soup for dinner."

"I'm not at all surprised that you can smell food from half a mile away, Ms. Murillo," Snape chimed. He was standing at the top of the stairs, slowly descending with a Quaffle in one hand.

Ebony and Chelly grinned. That could only mean one thing.

"You feeling up to a rematch," Chelly asked.

"If you three aren't too damaged to do so," he gestured at Ebony, Chelly, and Oliver since George wasn't in the fight.

"I think I can manage," Oliver nodded.

"We're one odd out though," Chelly said.

"I'll referee," Snape said and tossed the ball to George. "The two boys against the two girls. Losers buy drinks in Hogsmeade."

"Why do I have a feeling you get free drinks out of this no matter what?" Ebony asked with a raised eyebrow as they walked to the court. George and Oliver were playing keep away up ahead with Chelly. She tried to jump to grab the ball but found herself too short, over towered by both boys.

"Because I do."

She shook her head with a smile enjoying the nice weather.

"Are you feeling all right enough to play?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm not sore anymore."

"I meant otherwise," he said with concern, dark eyes watching her.

"To be honest, I'm better than I thought I'd be. I'm okay with him being dead…he's free now and I know it didn't go the way Harry and I planned, the way any of it was planned between the three of us, but nothing ever does. But I feel he's truly okay and I do miss him. I always will. But I have you…I may have lost my father…but I still have my dad…and that's all that matters to me. I'm where I belong because I belong with you," she told him and he stopped long enough to give her a hug as they reached the field. His emotions getting the better of him and he felt the need to hug _his _daughter, hoping she could feel he meant it and it was to cover for all the hurt he had bestowed on her over the year. And she understood it, hugging him back just as affectionately.

"Off you go," he told her as he broke away and directed her towards the others. "I want a good clean game," he told them. "And, of course, I'll favor the girls more because I like them better."

Chelly stuck her tongue at Oliver as he groaned, having a feeling they'd win this game. Ebony pushed off into the air on her broom, laughing as she stole the ball from George and when he tried to get it from her got the whistle blown on himself from her dad. She smiled as she watched the sun start to set, the sky a brilliant and warm pink with a touch of orange and her eyes widened a bit as she froze on her broom, her smile growing into one surprise. Up in the sky, cast amongst the puffy clouds was one shaped like a dog. The wind blew across her face and she had a feeling it was Sirius saying good-bye, that the dog shaped cloud was him watching her. She gave a nod at it and turned her broom around to play with her friends as her dad called penalty after penalty on the boys causing Chelly to cackle and gloat and Ebony to grin again as she was owed all year. Life was good and she wanted to savor it, if only for a moment. She was happy with it all, if only for awhile.

* * *

**NEXT: Half Blood Prince**


End file.
